Sango's Great Hunt
by AM78
Summary: Upon discovering evidence of a foe from her past, Sango decides to break from the group to confront him. However, Miroku isn't content to let her do so alone, resulting in a quest that may test thier skills and commitment to each other as never before.
1. Battle in the Woodlands

**Author's Note:** First the usual disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, blah, blah, blah, we all know the drill. Now that's out of the way, welcome to my first Inuyasha story. Reviews positive or negative will be greatly appriciated. This is based entirely on the english dub of the Inuyasha tv series and movies. It's post tv series, but pre-final act. Almost all my Inuyasha lore and terminology will be from the english dub (using "Wind Tunnel" instead of "Kazaana" for example). Sorry if that offends Inuyasha purists, it's just what I'm used too.

* * *

><p>"All right everyone! There it is, let's get him!" Sango shouted as she enthusiastically rode Kirara into battle with her Hiraikotsu held high.<p>

Her companions quickly followed, but without the same level of energy. If anything, they were just glad to have finally found their target. When they first heard the reports of unexplained disappearances of villagers and slaughter of caravans traveling through the woodlands, they had no idea that would be the start of one of their longest and most miserable demon hunts, where their main obstacles would be the elements and boredom. It had been four days since they had began their search through giant forest, yet neither Inuyasha's superior senses nor Miroku's ability to detect demonic aura had been much help until now. But Sango appeared more driven and determined then ever to find the source of the attacks, driving the group onward through harsh conditions, a role normally filled by Inuyasha.

It seemed to everyone that Sango was driven by some hidden motive, beyond her usual desire to slay demons and find Naraku, especially since there was no evidence of Naraku's involvement in this endeavor at all. Yet she wasn't giving any clues as to what this motivation might be, and even Miroku was baffled by her seemingly endless vigor in accomplishing the mission. She seemed so determined to find whatever demon was responsible for the attacks that Miroku had hardly any chance to get close to her, let alone act in his usual lecherous manner, something he vowed to make up for once their task was complete. But now they had finally found what they were looking for: A huge carnivorous plant Youkai, roughly 20 feet high and a width too long for immediate measurement, and with vines that seemed to stretch endlessly throughout the forest. At the center was something that resembled a head mass, complete with a giant mouth full of razor sharp teeth. It was surrounded by trees and foliage that made for a natural defensive barrier, enabling only a small angle for a direct attack. This presented a serious challenge, but there had been no time to formulate a battle plan. Inuyasha and his companions were all worn out from their long journey through the treacherous woodlands. They had been traveling almost non-stop with minimal sleep and their food supplies were dangerously low. The demon had to be dealt with now, before they were too exhausted to continue their pursuit.

"Yeah that's the spirit Sango!" Shouted Inuyasha. "About time we got some action. Hey Kagome, does this thing have any jewel shards?."

Kagome paused for a moment of deep thought before responding. "Yes! Be careful Inuyasha, I sense two of them, right in the center of its brain!"

"No problem Kagome, I'll turn this overgrown garden weed into compost! Wind Scar!" Inuyasha swung his mighty Tetsaiga forward, sending the powerful energy wave sweeping toward the towering plant monster. But before it could reach it, suddenly a virtual wall of vines and plants sprung up out of the ground in front of it, effectively absorbing the entire blast. The vines were torn apart by the impact of Inuyasha's wind scar, but it didn't get trough them and the monster remained intact, while the vines and plant life quickly regenerated within seconds.

"Damn," Inuyasha muttered under his breath as he readied himself what he quickly realized was going to be a more difficult fight then he was expecting.

An attack from Sango's Hiraikotsu, with the advantage of coming in from a high altitude, faired slightly better, tearing through a newly regenerated vine wall as it sprung from the ground and going through, managing to make contact with the monster's body. But the collision with the vine wall was enough to throw off the impact and it returned to Sango's hands after it inflicted a minor wound, which was almost instantly healed. With great disappointment, Sango saw it was not incapacitated in the slightest way as she steered Kirara back around preparing for their next move.

"Looks like I'll need to handle this" said Miroku as he ran forward, preparing to remove the seal from his wind tunnel. "Stand back everyone, I'll suck that vine wall into oblivion, then you will be free to-"

Before Miroku could open his wind tunnel or finish his sentence, a huge stream of poison shot out from the plant demon's mouth, forcing him and everyone else on the ground to dive out of the way. The poison attack just barely missed Miroku, leaving a trail of dead bushes and ground vegetation in its wake.

"Hold back Miroku, this thing is poisonous!" Shouted Sango from above as she quickly donned her slayer's mask. "You can't use your wind tunnel here."

"Most unfortunate", Miroku grumbled. Picking himself up off the ground, he turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, it appears we must hack through this demon using more conventional means."

Inuyasha needed little encouragement. He was already charging forward with his Tetsaiga ready to tear through anything in his way. But before he and Miroku could get close, suddenly dozens of seeds shot out from a spot on the plant demon's body and immediately implanted themselves in the ground. In a matter of seconds, the seeds sprouted into miniature versions of the youkai, roughly 6 feet tall, but still somewhat menacing.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Shouted Kagome in surprise. "Even my mom's green thumb can't grow plants that fast!"

"Ah who cares?" Inuyasha responded casually as the newly spawned army of humanoid-sized plant demons charged at him, "They're nothing we can't handle"

This time Inuyasha's prediction turned out to be accurate. A throw of Sango's Hiraikotsu mowed down the majority of them before they got anywhere near the group, while a few swings of Miroku and Inuyasha's weapons easily mopped up the rest.

"See wha'd I tell yah?" Asked Inuyasha. "Now we can get back to-oh shit not again!"

Inuyasha's boast was cut off by another round of seeds launched from the beast, once again instantly spawning into a plant demon army. Grudgingly accepting the turn of events, Miroku and Inuyasha charged forward to clear them out again, leaving Kagome and Shippo behind them in apparent safety. But the rear area of the battleground turned out to be less safe then expected. As Kagome watched the warriors hack through the new hoard, suddenly a thorn covered vine sprung out of the ground and went straight for Kagome.

"Look out Kagome!" shouted Shippo, who had noticed it just in time. In desperation, Shippo lept in front of the oncoming vine and grabbed ahold of it just before it's thorns could tear into Kagome's flesh, managing to use his forward momentum to push it out of the way. But it quickly switched to Shippo as it's target, pulling up, wrapping around Shippo's tiny neck, and slamming the Fox demon into the ground where it proceeded to strangle him.

"Shippo!" Kagome shouted as soon as she turned to see what happened. "Hold still, I'll get it!" With great speed, Kagome pulled an arrow from her quiver and fired with precision, nailing the vine with a hit that severed the part holding Shippo. Gratefully sucking in air, Shippo recovered and rushed to Kagome's side. In one regard, his small size had been an asset. Despite the direct contact with the vine, not a single thorn on it had touched him

"Good shot, Kagome. Where'd that vine come from?"

"I don't know, but it looks like there's a whole lot more of them"

Sure enough, thorn covered vines were springing up all around Miroku and Inuyasha as they hacked through the hoards of youkai plants coming from their main target and avoided getting caught by blasts of its poisonous breath, giving them even more obstacles to deal with. It seemed as if the entire forest was coming alive to repel Inuyasha and his companions

Flying above the battleground on Kirara while providing long range support with her Hiraikotsu, Sango grimly assessed the situation on the ground. The giant plant demon had proved to be far more formidable then she expected and things were getting out of hand. What she assumed to be a feral beast operating on animal instinct was acting more like an experienced field general with an army of troops and arsenal of weapons at his command. It seemed to have a counter for every type of attack they had, and with an endless supply of smaller youkai warriors along with the ability to regenerate it's severed vines almost instantly, it looked as though it could keep this fight up all day, something Sango and her companions certainly could not do while at their prime, much less after being tired from a long journey. "_Has it been deliberately leading us deep into the forest to wear us out in a battle of attrition? Has my iron resolve to find the creature led the us to our doom?"_

Meanwhile back on the ground, Inuyasha and Miroku were in the thick of fighting, swinging their weapons through a seemingly endless stream of vines and plant troops that were replaced almost as fast as they were cut down, while also having to dodge constant blasts of the main Youkai's poison. "Inuyasha, our situation appears to be deteriorating" Miroku pointed out. "We need to get through it's defenses before we're overwhelmed."

"Leave it to me Miroku. Wind Scar!" Once again Inuyasha sent a powerful energy wave running along the ground toward the towering plant monster, but this time he followed behind it at full sprint. As expected, a defensive wall of vines and plant life sprung up to absorb the blast, but now Inuyasha was right behind it to follow up with a strike that would take out what remained.

"This wall's coming down!" he shouted as he lept into the air. "Iron Reaver Soul Steal-arrgh!

Inuyasha's battle shout instantly turned into a cry of pain as giant thorn tipped vines suddenly shot out from the damaged plant wall and tore into his body before he could carry out his attack. The others could only watch in terror as one vine ripped through his shoulder blade while another gored into his lower chest area. The vines completely impaled through his body, suspending him in mid-air for a few seconds before flinging him off with tremendous force. Inuyasha hit the earth with so much momentum that he skidded along the ground for a great distance before finally crashing to a halt against a tree near Kagome's location.

Kagome screamed in horror and imediately rushed to his side, but she wasn't the only one. Suddenly nearly every spawning plant demon coming from the main one's launched seeds headed straight for Inuyasha, now completely ignoring Miroku. This enabled him to easily plow through them with his staff, but there were too many for him to stop them all.

_"Inuyasha's now out of range of the Plant Youkai's poison breath, so he's sending all his expendable reasources to finish him off." _Observed Sango from her position above. "_That's exactly what I would do. This thing really does have intellegence of a commander._"

Though badly wounded, Inuyasha managed to drag himself to his feet just in time to see the hoard of plant troops moving to him. "G-G-Get back Kagome" he said weakly as he pushed Kagome away from him. "Blades of Blood!"

With the last of his strength, he collected the blood flowing from his wounds and used his demonic blades to cleave through the oncoming attackers. Then he crumbled to the ground, no longer able to stand as the poison in his body and gaping wounds were too much to overcome.

With Inuyasha now incapacitated, the giant Youkai continued sending newly spawned warriors and thorny vines in his direction, but Miroku continued to cut them down while Shippo's illusion magic distracted the remaining ones enough for Kagome's arrows to pick them off. From her position above them, Sango watched as Kagome worked to protect the downed Hanyou, firing her arrows as fast as she could draw them and pull her bowstring. Sango was impressed with her courage, but knew the situation could not continue as Kagome would soon run out of arrows.

"_One of these days I'm going to have to teach her how to use a melee weapon." _Sango thought as she directed Kirara down to the ground. "_Her lack of formal training and limited supply of arrows does tend to make things difficult"._

As soon as Kirara was low enough, Sango jumped off and made a perfect landing on both feet while drawing her sword before she hit the ground. "Kirara! Protect Inuyasha and the others!" Without waiting to see her order acknowledged, she immediately rushed to Miroku's aid.

"Ah Sango, how nice of you to join me." said Miroku as he kept fighting through the hoard of poison vines and newly spawning plant troops. He was concerned to see his beloved demon slayer get deeper involved into what was starting to seem like a losing battle, but practical enough to know her intervension was necessary. "I could certainly use your blade at my side, as events have taken a turn for the worst".

Sango could understand his viewpoint. In addition to losing their strongest warrior, she could see Miroku was getting tired. His robes were drenched in sweat and his exhaustion from constantly dodging attacks and swinging his staff was obvious. "I know, but hang in there, we'll turn the tide" she replied as she cleaved through a nearby vine that attempted to wrap around her body. In reality she was desperately trying to come up with some way to break the stalemate, as she knew they could not hold out much longer.

Fortunately her decision to use Kirara to protect Inuyasha turned out to be a good one. Kirara's flaming claws easily killed all poison vines and plant warriors that got past Sango and Miroku, enabling Kagome some respite. Suddenly she realized what needed to be done. "Shippo, those seeds are coming from one spot on the Youkai's body. A hit with an arrow of purification might stop them. But I'll need to get up high to get it over that vine wall. Can you take me up with a stable platform?"

"I'll handle it Kagome," Shippo said with confidence, glad to be given such an important role. "Transform!" With a blast of his fox magic, Shippo morphed into a giant Balloon that slowly started to ascend. "Going Up!'

"That's perfect Shippo!" said Kagome as she hopped on. Then she turned to Kirara. "Kirara, try to keep that monster distracted. I'll be a sitting duck on this thing...no offense Shippo"

"Sheesh, this is what you asked for isn't it?" Shippo muttered. "Just don't miss."

While Kirara, Sango and Miroku fought to protect Kagome and keep the Youkai's attention focused on them, Shippo kept going up until he reached an altitude Kagome thought was sufficient. "Alright that's good Shippo. Now keep me here and try not to throw off my aim. I don't think I'll get another shot at this." Kagome took out an arrow an lined up a shot, doing her best to focus on the one spot on the demon's body where the army spawning seeds were coming from. Thinking of the badly wounded Inuyasha and how his life and her companions were depending a good hit, she honed in on her target and let her arrow fly.

"Hit the mark!" she shouted as the arrow soared to its target. The giant plant Youkai saw it coming at the last second and tried to raise it's defensive wall, but by the time it noticed it was too late. The arrow soared over the vine wall and struck in the exact spot Kagome was aiming. Just as Kagome was hoping, her arrow had the desired effect. In an instant, there were no more seeds coming from the Plant monster, meaning no more army at its command. All it had left were it's thorn covered poison vines, which the combined force of Kirara, Sango, and Miroku quickly shredded, chopping them up faster then they could regenerate.

"What a deadeye!" Shouted Shippo in delight. "We did it Kagome!"

"Let's just hope the others can finish the job," Kagome replied. With her mind still on the downed Inuyasha, her voice lacked the same level of encouragement. "Now take me back down, I've got to tend to Inuyasha."

Meanwhile, Sango could sense victory within their grasp. Kagome's plan had worked brilliantly and now it was up to her and Miroku to take advantage of it. "Alright Miroku, now's our chance!" You ready?"

"Indeed I am," replied Miroku, mainly just hoping for a quick finish to what had already almost left him physically drained. "Come, let us drive it from these lands!" With that, he threw several enchanted sutras at the giant demon. As expected, it's defensive vine wall rose up to absorb them, but they burned into the wall on impact and took out a huge chunk, leaving a massive weak spot that Sango was able to exploit before it could regenerate. She immediately followed up his attack with a strike from her Hiraikotsu, which plowed right through the weak point, creating a gaping hole.

At once, Kirara, Miroku, and Sango charged at the hole at a full sprint, going so fast that Sango didn't even bother to catch her Hiraikotsu as it returned. Instead she let it soar past her where it lodged in a nearby tree trunk. Once again, thorn tipped vines flew out from the plant wall, attempting to rip through them as they had with Inuyasha, but this time everyone was ready for it. Sango cut through the vines with her sword and arm blade, mowing them down so effectively that she barely broke stride, while Kirara helped take out the ones going for Miroku.

In an instant Miroku and Sango were past the giant Youkai's defenses and ready to strike. In desperation, it attacked with a blast from its poison breath, but again Sango and Miroku were ready and dodged it as they sprinted in for the kill. Finally getting close enough, Sango and Miroku lept in the air and drove their respective weapons deep into the Youkai's head mass. It lurched in response, sending both warriors tumbling off, but the damage was done. Within seconds of hitting the ground, both of them looked up in time to see the inert husk of the once mighty demon collapse and dissolve into the earth, leaving behind the twin jewel shards Kagome had mentioned at the start of the battle.

Miroku and Sango could only stare as what remained of the demon for a few seconds as they caught their breath. Then assured of their victory, they waved their weapons in the air and cheered as its corpse dissolved into the ground.

However, their celebration quickly came to a halt as they remembered Inuyasha. Regaining their composure, they hurried over to their downed comrade where Kagome already was already doing the best to tend to his wounds with her first aid box. It soon became apparent their victory had come at a very severe price.


	2. Sango Departs

No one present could ever remember a time where victory felt less satisfying. While their prior successful expeditions resulted in celebrations, rewards, or at the very least a bit of rest, this one earned them none. Instead, all they faced now was a long journey back through the dense woodlands, and they would have to make the trip carting their wounded half-demon along the way. Although the town where they had been hired on to take out the youkai responsible for the recent attacks was closer, the group decided it would be best to go directly back to Kaede's village, where she could help treat his injuries, while Kagome would also have the ability to go back to her time to stock up on her modern medical supplies.

Inuyasha's injuries were as serious as any he had ever received in his years of fighting, and the poison in his body was the worst aspect, leaving him in a perpetual state of delirium, daze, and pain. Neither his demonic healing powers nor anything in Kagome's first aid box could counteract it. Gathering up lumber from the forest, the group constructed a make-shift stretcher to lay him on and then tied it to Kirara's back. They considered having Kirara fly him directly back to the village ahead of the group, but decided against it on grounds that he might need more aid if his condition deteriorated along the way. So with Inuyasha on Kirara floating a few feet above them, everyone else had to walk. A long, painful, hungry, sleep-deprived walk back to the village. And just when it seemed like the situation couldn't possibly get any worse, it started to rain, in a seemingly endless down-pour that would not let up.

"Ohhh, K-Kagome how much further do we have? This whole experience has been a neverending nightmare," said Inuyasha in a pained voice. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness the whole way back and the misery of his condition and their situation had become so unbearable that he had actually dropped his tough guy image.

"We're on the last leg now. Just hold on," Kagome replied, doing her best to keep his spirits up and hide her own fatigue. In reality she was probably the second most miserable person among the group. In addition to not being in as good of physical shape as everyone else, her school uniform was hardly practical attire for long distance hiking, which is why she spent the majority of their quest being carried on Inuyasha's back or riding Kirara, both of which had been eliminated as options on the way back.

"Ah quit your whining, Inyusha," Shippo snapped. "We all know what really has you down. You're just jealous we were able to slay that demon on our own after it beat you." Shippo seemed to be the only member of the who was still in high spirits. Kagome assumed it was because he wasn't mature enough to understand the extent of Inuyasha's injuries and because he was finally in a situation where he could insult him without fear of violent reprisal.

"C-C-Can someone please deck him for me?" Inuyasha inquired to the group in general. "I can't be the only one h-here who wants him to shut up."

"Ha! It's not going to happen, you don't get to pummel me this time Inuyasha." Shippo shot back triumphantly. "No one's here's going to hit a kid, especially since my brilliant talents were the reason we won."

"S-Shippo I swear when I get back on m-my feet, I'm going to give you the thrashing of a lifetime. You'll be feeling as bad as I am now..." And so it went. The hanyou and fox demon had been going back and forth on and off periodically throughout the trip, interrupted only when Inuyasha's pain became to great or when Kagome broke them up

Meanwhile Sango walked in front of the group in total silence. She tried to show as little emotion as possible, but beneath her calm exterior, her mind was on overdrive. _"It wasn't supposed to be like this. This was the same kind of youkai my team of slayers easily defeated years ago. The one he created. How did he make this one so powerful and intelligent? The jewel shards? Or maybe his skills have improved since then?"_

"Sango, what's wrong?" Asked Miroku as he approached her from behind. He could tell something had been bothering her since the start of the hunt and now that it was complete, he figured this would be the time to figure out what it was. "You did nothing but push us onward at the start of this expedition, and you've been deathly silent the whole way back."

"Oh Miroku..uh it's nothing." Sango replied, doing her best to brush him off. "I'm just weary from our long journey and focused on getting back. Even now, it's not safe to let our guard down, especially considering Inuyasha's condition." She was still so lost in her thoughts that it seemed she barely noticed him. "_Should I have told the others what I knew?" What good would it have done? I wasn't sure it was really the demon I fought before. And clearly I didn't know how tough it would be this time..."_

"Is that what's concerning you?" Asked Miroku. "Look what happened to him wasn't your fault. It was just the fate of battle. None of us knew what that demon was capable of."

Finally Sango started to open up. The strain of keeping secrets from someone she cared for deeply was starting to weigh heavily on her conscience. "But wasn't it? I was the one so determined to find the blasted thing. I'm the one who insisted on minimizing our rest and food breaks to stay on its trail. If I had shown more concern for our own welfare, we could have fought him under more favorable conditions, and come up with a proper battle plan."

Once again Sango's focus drifted back to her own thoughts "_I should have considered the possibility that it would be stronger or smarter this time. I let my personal feelings dictate my actions and nearly led us all into an early grave. I can't risk putting them through this again. Once we get back I'll have to handle the situation properly, on my own."_

"Or maybe we never would have found it, and it would still be out there killing and maiming at will." Miroku pointed out. Then he put a hand on Sango's shoulder, causing her to immediately stop in her tracks. "Sango, stop torturing yourself. You should be proud of how well we all worked together to defeat it. And In doing so we probably saved a lot of lives"

Sango sighed and conceded his point. "Yeah...we did fight pretty well out there, didn't we?" She said while looking back and smiling at him. "Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, us; we've all become a real force to be reckoned with."

Miroku put his other hand on her other shoulder and started to rub them gently. "Exactly. And don't worry about Inuyasha. He'll recover. He's too strong to let a dose of demon venom to keep him down."

Sango had to hand it to Miroku. His gentle touch and words of reassurance were just what she needed right now. _"Oh Miroku. You have no idea how good that felt." _Finally she was able to take her mind off the events of the day and her plans for the future. _"These are the times when it's so obvious why I fell for him. He really can be so supportive, so passionate, so-GODDAMN PERVERTED!"_

Sango's feelings of relaxation quickly transitioned to feelings of primal rage as she felt Miroku's right hand transition from her shoulder to her bottom. "Miroku, you low-life letch!" She shouted as she unleashed her wrath. This time he wasn't lucky to enough to receive it in the form of a mere slap. Instead she swung her left arm back with full force, drilling him right above the nose with a powerful elbow strike. The impact sent him stumbling off balance for a few steps before slipping on the wet muddy ground.

"After the pure hell we've been going through, that's still all you can think about?" She asked in an angered tone of near disbelief. Even by Miroku's standards, she considered this act to be particularly audacious. "Unbelievable!"

Miroku quickly got back up, while desperately trying to think of a way to redeem himself. "Sango wait! You have to understand your immense beauty is nearly impossible to resist in any situation. And don't forget this cursed hand of mine-"

"Shut it, monk! Another word from you and Inuyasha will have to make room on the stretcher for one more! Now leave me alone!"

With that, Sango turned around in a huff and stormed back to her original position at the head of the group, kicking up water and chunks of mud as she left Miroku behind. Though it may have been his imagination or the effects of the blow he received, Miroku swore he could see steam rising from her rain-soaked body as she walked away.

Behind them, Kagome watched with resigned disappointment, while Shippo and Kirara had an expression of shock.

"What an idiot," remarked Shippo. "Still Sango usually doesn't react to him that way. What set her off now?"

"Remember a while back when I told you about the importance of 'atmosphere'?" Asked Kagome. "Well it can also work against you if you make a move at the wrong time."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the group's agonizing march finally came to an end at Kaede's village, where they immediately went to work getting Inuyasha's wounds proper treatment, while also looking forward to some badly needed rest and recouperation of their own. The one exception was Kagome, who refused to leave Inuyasha's side and worked tirelessly to aid in his recovery, leaving only on brief trips to her own time to replenish her depleted medical supplies. Over the next few days, through a combination of modern medicine and ancient healing techniques, Inuyasha's condition eventually stabilized and the poison in his body was slowly drawn out. But the wounds still left him crippled, sick, and bed ridden, with no clear sign of how long it would take to make a full recovery. Kaede estimated at the very least, he would be severely limited in activity for the next several days. And despite Kagome's constant support, Inuyasha was treating his convalescence as a prison term, just as everyone expected.<p>

Meanwhile Sango had made up her mind. She was leaving to resolve the issue once and for all, and was doing so alone. Everything they group went through over the last few days had happened because what she did, or failed to do, years ago and it was up to her see it through to the end. _"I suppose Miroku might say I'm 'going to confront the demons of my past'. It's kind of amusing that I'll be doing so literally."_ Sango thought to herself as she finished packing her travel bag.

Suddenly her heart sank as she thought of Miroku. She hated to leave him behind without so much as saying as saying goodbye, esepcially since there was a good chance she would not return, but it had to be done. He would insist on coming along, no matter how badly his skills were needed here. With Inuyasha incapacitated for the indefinite future, everyone, even Kirara, would be needed in the village at such a critical time. Besides, she couldn't ask them to go on such a journey after what they went through the last one, due in large part to her.

Leaving behind a simple note stating she would be going away on "personal business", Sango gathered up her supplies and headed out. It was very late at night and she assumed everyone would be in bed at the time, an assumption that appeared to be accurate until she reached the outer edge of the village, where she happened to run into Kagome.

_"With all the trained warriors and demons on among us, Kagome is the one who catches me leaving. Sometimes the gods have a frustrating sense of irony." _Hi Kagome, what are you doing out at such a late hour?" Sango asked, trying to act natural.

"Oh Sango, I was just out to fetch some water for Inuyasha. What are you doing here?"

Wishing she had thought of a cover story beforehand, Sango tried to come up with something. "Just taking a late night stroll. You know I find them quite relaxing.."

"Sure, you're out for a late night stroll, fully armed, wearing your slayer's uniform, and carrying a traval pack. Spill it Sango, what's going on?"

_"Guess there's no way around it now. Well, I suppose she deserves an explination the most out of anyone_." Sango thought, trying to figure out the best way to explain the situation. "Kagome, I've got a confession to make. That plant youkai we fought back in the woodlands...well...the reason I was so determined to find it is because I've fought one like it before-"

Kagome cut her off mid sentence with words of surprised betrayal. "What? You mean you knew about that thing and didn't tell us? Sango, how could you? Inuyasha nearly died because we didn't know what it could do-"

Now it was Sango's turn to interupt. "No! It's not like that. Just let me explain." Then she started from a different angle. "Kagome, didn't you find it odd that it had jewel shards in it's brain? How could it have put them there?"

That caused Kagome to pause. "I guess with all that went on since then, I never had time to think about it."

"The reason is because it was artificially created. Someone put that youkai together and put the jewel shards in with it. I know this because I've also fought the demon who created it. They were both targets of a demon hunt from my younger days, one I was never able to finish. The man's a real devil, Kagome. Just think, a demon who makes his own youkai servants, and he does so by harvesting humans."

Kagome took a bit of time to take this all in. "So he's like a demon Dr. Frankenstein?"

"Who's Dr. Frankenstein?"

"Oh, uh no one you would know." Kagome replied, realizing her reference was about 300 years too early. "Please continue."

"When me and my fellow slayers encountered that plant monster years ago, it was a total pushover. It wasn't posionous and it didn't have most of the powers and defenses we dealt with this time. We defeated it easily. That's why I never mentioned it when we set out together on our recent excursion. I wasn't sure if it really was the same one, but if it was, I figured we'd crush it without much effort."

"Well you still should have told us. We're supposed to be a team, Sango."

Sango closed her eyes and looked away. "I know. I take full responsibility for everything that happened back there, and that's why I've got to resolve this on my own. I'm leaving, Kagome. I'm going to find the one who created that youkai and put an end to him before he can make any more."

Kagome could hardly believe what she was hearing. "What? Don't be rediculous! Just wait until Inuyasha recovers and then we'll all set out to find him together. I'm sure Inuyasha would be happy to come along. He'll be practically begging for action after all this time couped up around here."

"There isn't time," Sango explained. "Don't you see? His creations are getting more powerful, more intellegent, and he's embedding them with jewel shards. If we wait too long, the next of his minions might be too much for even all of us to handle. It could be days, even weeks before Inuyasha is ready to re-join us. I'm not going to risk waiting that long."

"Then the rest of us will go with you. Kaede can keep Inuyasha company and take care of him until we get back."

"It's not that simple, you're forgetting Naraku. His Saimyosho and spies are everywhere. It's only a matter of time before he finds out about Inuyasha's condition, and when he does he'll try to take full advantage of it. You all have to stay here to protect him, and this village. Besides, you know you can't leave, Kagome. Inuyasha is going through one of the most miserable experiences of his life right now. He needs you."

"And Miroku needs you!" Kagome shot back. "How could you think of leaving him like this?"

Sango had to put some effort into finding a rebuttal. "Does he really? I know he said he wanted to live with me after we defeat Naraku, but what's changed since then? He still flirts with every girl he sees. He still can't keep his perverted feelings under control. Sometimes I wonder if he was just taking advantage of the moment to keep me going-"

"Sango, give it up," Kagome interupted. "You havn't gotten any better at lying since we started this conversation. I know you don't believe that. Not after all the two of you have been through together and all the times he's risked his life for you."

"Maybe you're right, but that's all the more reason I have to do this alone. The guy I'm after has already cost me a lot in sweat and blood. I won't risk letting him take anything or anyone else significant in my life. Anyway, all of you need to stay here. The more of you that are here, the better chance you have of deterring Naraku from trying anything before Inuyasha gets better. If he recovers before I get back, you all can come join me. I'll be starting from the town that hired us to slay the plant youkai. I've made up my mind Kagome, and if you really are my friend you'll respect my decision. This is what has to be done."

Kagome had never seen her friend look so determined as she finished her statement. She realize there was no way to convince her otherwise. "Fine, but just wait here for a bit. There is something you'll need to bring."

"You're not going to wake the others, are you?"

"No I swear I won't, just wait here and I'll be right back. You have to trust me on this."

Kagome rushed back to the hut she was using and returned with one her first-aid kits. "Better take this with you."

"Kagome, I can't take this. Inuyasha needs it now."

"It's just a spare. On my last trip I brought back more medical supplies then I'll probably need. I'm giving it to you on the condition you'll do everything you can to avoid having to use it."

Sango took the first aid kit and thanked her friend. "Fair enough Kagome, and thank you for understanding. I've got to go now. Say goodbye to the others for me."

"Wait! Is there anything special you want me to tell Miroku? You don't want to just leave him in the dark, do you?"

Sango sighed. "You can tell him everything I told you. But don't tell him where I'm going, not unless you're certain he understands he has responsibilities here that need to be fulfilled. Also, tell him to take care of Kirara for me. He'll know what to do. And..well...just tell him I'll be thinking of him on the road, and I'll do everything it takes to complete my mission as fast as I can."

"Alright I'll do it. Good luck Sango. It really doesn't feel right to see you go off on your own like this."

"We've all got our duties, Kagome. Yours is here, with Inuyasha during his time of need." With that, Sango gathered up her things and turned to leave.

"And yours is with Miroku." Kagome replied as she watched the demon slayer dissapear into the darkness. "Fight hard, stay safe, and come home."


	3. Reunion Under the Stars

Sango spent the rest of the night and all of next day traveling to her destination of Tazumi, a prosperous trading town on the outskirts of the great forest where she and her companions had spent the better part of the last week hunting the plant youkai. It wasn't too far away from Kaede's village and she had hoped to make it before nightfall. However, her previous trip there had been on Kirara, along with Miroku and Shippo, while Inuyasha carried Kagome on the ground. As such, their speed had been maximized, forcing Sango to simply make a rough estimate of how long it would take to get there on foot at a normal walking pace.

As the sun started to drop, it became apparent her calculations had been faulty. Sango realized she wasn't going to make it to Tazumi before dark. Carefully considering her options, she decided to get off main road and find a place to make camp for the night. Attacks by bandits and demons had been a persistent problem in this area and she hated the notion of sleeping without someone with her to keep watch. But having gone a full day and night without sleep, she decided that staying on the main road would be even more dangerous. It be a much more likely spot to encounter threats, and the last thing she wanted to do was run into them while alone and heavily fatigued from her long walk and lack of rest.

As the darkness of night crept in, Sango broke away from the main road and found a suitable location near a stream surrounded by a clump of trees. A single person would not be easily visible to outsiders in this area, while the ground was littered with sticks and branches could provide an early warning of approaching people or wild animals. In addition Sango planned to set up a few improvised early warning devices of her own. Still Sango knew even with all her precautions, she was going to be extremely vulnerable once she drifted off to sleep.

It suddenly occurred to her that this was the first time she had ever gone on a significant mission alone. All of her prior expeditions had been with her fellow demon slayers or with Inuyasha's team, and as she walked over to the stream to refill her water canteens, she found herself longing for their unique skills, particularly Inuyasha's heightened senses and Miroku's ability to detect demonic aura.

"_Get over it Sango," _she told herself while kneeling down next to the water. _"The others aren't here and it can't be helped. You're the one who got yourself into this position. Just do what you can and keep going."_

But as she started filling her water containers, she couldn't help but think of Miroku and how he was handling her unexplained departure. "_I wonder what his reaction was?" _Then she smiled as a thought occurred to her. _"Knowing Miroku he'll probably be treating my absence like a vacation. After all, now he'll be free to flirt with all the pretty village girls as much as he wants, with no fear of repercussions. In fact, he could do anything he wants with them. Why, he could even..."_

Sango's smile immediately disappeared as her mind ran through all the possible ways to finish that thought, none of them sounding the slightest bit appealing. _"No, he wouldn't go that far, would he? Sure Miroku's a shameless flirt, but he's never done anything like that, at least not since he asked me to live with him. In fact, I've even seen him pass up a few golden opportunities to do so."_

That thought calmed her nerves somewhat as she finished filling her last canteen in the water. But then something else occurred to her. _"Why shouldn't he have the right to do what he wants now? After all, I abandoned him without explanation any concern for his feelings. Why should he show any greater concern for mine? Ugh, I need to stop this. Focus on the mission, Sango. This is just like all countless hunts I've been on. Get out there, do the job, and go home. Distractions won't make it any easier."_

Sango finished filling her water containers and turned to head back to the spot among the trees where she planned to make camp for the night. And that's when she saw him. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the silhouette of a humanoid figure high on a large branch of a tree roughly 30 yards ahead and to her left. She was unable to make out any details of the person from her brief glimpse in the darkness, but someone was clearly there.

_"Dammit! That's what I get for losing focus. There's no way he should have been able to sneak up on me so easily. Who could it be? A robber? A bandit group scout? A hungry demon looking for his next meal? Could it even be...him?" _No, Sango told herself, that was foolish. The chances of running into her target out here were infinitesimal. Besides, if it really was him, he'd be killing her, not watching.

Sango's lifetime of training and and experience as a demon slayer instantly kicked in. While most people in her situation would react by immediately responding to their unknown observer, either by retreating or attacking, she knew better. Instead, she made no change in movement whatsoever upon seeing the figure in the tree. Sango simply continued her motion of getting up from the stream and walking to the place she planned to set up camp, giving no indication whatsoever that the person observing her had been "made".

Surprise was to be her advantage in this confrontation, but it presented a problem in that by continuing her original motion, she was forced to take her eyes off her adversary. In order to maintain secrecy, she had to casually walk in a direction that placed him just outside of her peripheral vision. "_My timing will have to be perfect." _Sango thought as she her hands slowly crept on to the Hiraikotsu strapped to her back. By her estimate, the intruder would be too far away to notice such slight movement of her hands in the dark. _"As soon as I turn to face him, I'll have to make an accurate throw within seconds. Well, here it goes. This guy's about find out he messed with the wrong demon slayer!"_

Doing her best to remember the intruder's exact location from her brief glance at him, Sango made her move. Acting with lighting speed, she suddenly turned in his direction and hurled her Hiraikotsu at the large tree branch he was perched on as soon as she had a good enough view to acquire it as a target. At the exact moment the giant boomerang left her hands, Sango took off behind it at a full sprint, preparing to follow through if everything went according to plan.

And it did! Before the intruder had any time to react, the Hiraikotsu sliced through the giant branch, cleanly cutting it off from the tree and sending him plummeting to the earth. As soon as he hit the ground, the adversary rolled on to his back and tried to sit up, but the charging Sango didn't give him any chance. She threw herself on top of him, pinned his body to the ground underneath hers, extended her arm blade, and pressed it against his throat.

"Who are you? Why have you been spying on me?" Sango gave her impromptu interrogation with loud demanding questions, but got no response. She considered the possibility that her swift attack had left him dazed and speechless, but wasn't about to let up all the same.

"Talk, damn you!" Sango shouted while pressing her blade even tighter against the intruder's neck, roughly as close as it could come to drawing blood without actually doing so. "You're not going anywhere until I get some answers! So start talking! Otherwise we'll stay like this as long as it takes!"

After what seemed like an eternity, but was really just a few seconds, the intruder finally spoke in what Sango immediately identified as a human male voice. "That would be perfectly acceptable."

"WHAT?" Sango was so surprised by this answer that she actually found herself at a loss for words. However, the stranger continued.

"Sango my dear, I'd be happy to stay like this all night. The blade at my throat is an acceptable constraint."

At this point Sango realized two things. One was that the man's voice was strikingly familiar. The other was the location of his hands. The man had his left arm wrapped around her back, practically hugging her, while his right hand was groping her in an all-too familiar manner.

"MIROKU!"

From his position underneath Sango, Miroku wasn't sure which was louder: Sango's enraged shout of his name, or the following impact from her right hand slapping him in the face. Both sounds boomed through the darkness, sending wildlife scurrying away and birds flying from the surrounding trees.

Sango quickly got up off him and retracted her arm blade. "Are you out of your mind? Groping me before I've identified you and while I've got a blade at your throat? Almost any woman on the planet would have killed you!"

"Perhaps, but I was fairly certain you wouldn't," Miroku explained as he stood up and rubbed the routine red hand imprint on his face. "Besides, for a chance to touch your magnificent body, I was willing to take the risk."

"Oh how flattering." Sango grumbled sarcastically. "Anyway I see Kagome broke her promise to me right after she made it. She must have woke you as soon as I left the village and you've been following me the whole time. I can't believe I never noticed you until now. My skills must really be growing lax."

"You should have more faith in your friends, Sango. And in your own abilities. You've already proven your skills are as sharp as ever. Rest assured falling from a tree and having your blade against my throat was not something I would have allowed if I were able avoid it. As for Kagome, she followed your instructions to the letter. I was not informed of your departure until early this morning, and I didn't set out to find you until a few hours later."

"But that doesn't add up," Sango pointed out as she picked up her Hiraikotsu from where it had hit the ground. "That would give me a huge head start. I've been traveling almost constantly the whole time. There is no way you could have caught up with me so fast."

"Under normal conditions that would certainly be true. Fortunately I had access to more expedient means of travel," Miroku explained. Then he turned his head to the side and talked in a different direction. "Oh Kirara. You can come out now."

Something resembling a small yellow blur shot out from some nearby bushes and made a run for Sango. She was caught by surprise at first, but quickly identified her faithful two-tailed servant. "Kirara!", Sango shouted as the cat demon leaped into her arms where she curled up and started purring while Sango stroked her soft fur.

"You did say I was supposed to take care of Kirara, so naturally I had to bring her along," Miroku pointed out. "Her flying ability is what enabled me to catch up. However, it was already dark by the time I found you. Knowing how hyper-vigilant you would be while traveling alone at night, I decided it would be safer to stay out of your way and avoid making contact until morning. Considering your recent actions, I think we can both agree I was right."

Sango wanted to argue that her reaction was a perfectly logical response to spying by an unknown assailant, but decided to drop the matter. There were more important issues to discuss. "I also told Kagome not to tell you where I was going. Miroku, I'm glad to see you, but you need to take Kirara and go back to Kaede's village at once. It has to be protected until Inuyasha recovers from his battle wounds. Kaede, Shippo, and Kagome can't do that by themselves"

"Actually you said no such thing. According to Kagome, you said she could tell me where you were going if I understood I had responsibilities in the village that needed to be fulfilled. Fear not, for I do understand such responsibilities, and before I left I did see to it they were fulfilled. The task of protecting Inuyasha and the village has been delegated to capable hands."

"Really? Who are you talking about?" Asked Sango as she set Kirara down. She couldn't imagine anyone else available who was qualified for the task.

"Why Kouga and his wolf demon tribe, of course. I had Kagome summon Kouga immediately after she told me what happened to you."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sango couldn't help but laugh at this claim. "Kouga protect Inuyasha? That's ridiculous. They both hate each other. Why would Kouga ever agree to such a thing?"

"Isn't it obvious? Surely you must have realized by now that Kouga has become hopelessly infatuated with our lovely young Miko, to the point where he would do anything she asks him to do, especially when it means getting spend more time around her and feel superior to Inuyasha. The fact that Kagome clearly does not feel the same way about him has never been a deterrent in the past, so I correctly figured it would not be so now."

"So you just manipulated his unhealthy obsession to get some free labor?" Sango asked while rolling her eyes. "It figures you woudn't have any moral qualms about that."

"Really Sango, where is your pragmatism? The fact that Kouga refuses to face reality is his own problem, not ours. He must learn to deal with it his own way. Until he does, I see nothing wrong with using his services to fill such a vitally important role like protecting Inuyasha. In fact, it appears he has even aided in the hanyou's recovery. You should have seen Inuyasha's reaction when he found out Kouga would be keeping watch on the village. He instantly leapt out of bed and tried to beat Kouga to a bloody pulp before Kagome intervened. It was the most active I've seen him since him since he suffered his injuries in the woods."

Again Sango laughed as she pictured the event playing out. "Yep that sounds like Inuyasha all right. He'd do all he could to fight Kouga even if that plant youkai had stabbed him through his head. I'll bet his desire to get rid of Kouga will accelerate his convalecense better then any medecine or healing technique ever could."

"Precisely. So as you can see, everything has been taken care of on the home front. As such, there is no longer any strategic or tactical reason for me not to accompany you on your journey, wouldn't you agree?"

With that remark, Sango's laughter instantly came to a halt. "Maybe not, but there are personal reasons. Miroku, I'm touched you would take all those steps and put all that effort into coming after me, but this is my demon hunt. My issue to be solved. Did Kagome explain what I'm going after?"

"To be honest, I don't remember too much of that part," admitted Miroku. "As soon as she told me you left, I put all my effort into coming up with a way get everything taken care of and find you. But it matters not, because I'm now making this MY issue. Whatever mountain you have to climb, whatever army you have to fight, whatever dragon you have to slay, I am with you. And I'm afraid there is nothing on earth you could say to keep me from my proper place at your side."

Sango was moved by his devotion, but remained adamant in her stance. "You don't get it. This is something I've had to deal with for years now, and Inuyasha was only the most recent casualty. People have already died following me in pursuit of this thing. I can't bear to lose anyone else to him, especially not you. Don't you understand how I feel?"

Suddenly Miroku became equally serious. "And what of my feelings? Did you honestly expect me to just sit around the village hoping for your safe return? How could I? You're the most important woman in my life, and you even agreed to bear my children. That's not a commitment I take lightly, and if you thought there was even the slightest chance I would be content with letting you go face a possible death without me being present, then I must say you are sorely mistaken."

Sango tried to think of a rebuttal, but found herself totally disarmed. There was simply nothing to argue. "Miroku, you..."

Seeing he was on the verge of victory, Miroku continued. "Consider it this way. What if our roles had been reversed? What if after being evasive and on edge for days, I suddenly left you in the middle of the night with no explanation of where I was going or why. Would you calmly follow the vague instructions I left behind? I suspect not."

"If you had done what I did? Well I suppose...I'd...do whatever it took to find you and follow you on whatever quest you-Dammit Miroku! Sometimes I really hate it when you make perfect sense."

At last Sango gave in. There was simply no way she could counter Miroku's points. _"I was so focused on keeping my friends safe from the task I'm dealing with that I didn't consider the suffering they would go through if I didn't return. Doing nothing while Miroku goes off to his likely death would be simply unthinkable. I can't expect him to feel any different about me."_

"My apologies dear Sango. But this matter simply is not open for debate. So, now that it's settled, how about you explain to me the finer details of this expedition?"

"I guess you feel the same way about this, huh Kirara?" Sango asked while looking down at her demon cat. Kirara simply responded by rubbing against Sango's leg and letting out an affirmative meow. "Alright, I already found a good spot to make camp. Let's head there and pick up some firewood on the way. This is going to take a while."

"Fair enough," responded Miroku. "As I said, do not be afraid to tell me everything. No matter what trials face us ahead, I promise we'll face them together."

Sango smilled as she led him back to the camping spot she had selected. _"Good old Miroku. Tonight I may have defeated him physically, but in the battle of logic and reason, he earned a descisive win."_ Despite her concerns, she couldn't help but think this was how her mission was destined to be.


	4. Confessions by the Campfire

"There we go, that ought to keep it going for a while," said Miroku after he threw the final log on their campfire. Then he sat down next to Sango. "So this target of yours, it's from an incident that goes way back doesn't it? Far before we ever met."

Sango would not have even considered starting a campfire while alone in such a hostile, untamed land. But now with Miroku and Kirara present, she felt it was an acceptable risk. Kirara's demon-enhanced animal senses and Miroku's ability to detect demonic aura probably would be able to alert them of any approaching threats, while any wandering demons or bandit groups would be hard pressed to overcome Miroku's wind tunnel alone, much less the combined force of all three of them.

Now sitting by Miroku in front of the blazing fire under the moonlight with Kirara curled up and asleep in her lap, Sango couldn't help but appreciate the irony of the setting. Under normal circumstances, most people would find this situation quite peaceful and romantic. But there was nothing peaceful or romantic involved in the story she was about to reveal. On the contrary, she was about to reveal one of her darkest and most unpleasant memories. An event that she had never talked about with anyone outside her immediate family since then, even after so many years.

"Yes it certainly does. It actually happened during my early years as a demon slayer. Remember what I told you about our culture and its warrior training traditions?"

Miroku thought for a moment. "A little. You said your village trained everyone in the art of demon slaying from as soon as they were able to wield a weapon and sent them on missions at a very young age."

"Age 11," Sango clarified. "That was a strict standard. But everything else from that point on was based on pure merit. Any further advancement had to be earned, and the next major right of passage was usually many years away."

"Next right of passage? What could that be?" Asked Miroku. He had always had a hard time comprehending Sango's culture and found their use of child soldiers generally disturbing, though he would be the first to admit he was hardly in a position to claim moral superiority in comparison.

"Your first command assignment." Sango smiled as she recalled the ultimate goal of her youth and how hard she worked for it. "Getting to lead a demon slaying expedition was the goal of every young slayer from the moment they put a weapon in our hands. It represented true mastery of the Taijiya lifestyle in every regard, not just in fighting, but also strategy, tactics, discipline, and personal responsibility."

"Yes I could see how that would be a worthy goal. But I take it that typically wasn't done around age 11."

"Absolutely not," Sango confirmed. "It generally took many years. Usually my people were in their late teens or early 20's by the time they earned it. But I was determined to do it faster. Being the daughter of the village chief had put a lot of pressure on me to excel, and I was dedicated to proving I could handle it. I wanted to make my father proud and set a good example for Kohaku to follow when his time came."

"That certainly sounds like the Sango I know," said Miroku happily. "I take it you completed this task quite effectively."

"That I did. I earned my first command assignment at age 14. I can't event begin to tell you the feeling of pride and accomplishment I was experiencing at the time. Hardly any of our oldest veterans could ever remember anyone getting command responsibly at such a young age. It wasn't universally accepted by everyone, though. I heard a few people grumbling that my father's status as a chief unfairly influenced my selection. But I knew I earned the title properly, and I was going to do everything I could to prove it."

"Great accomplishments always provoke jealousy. It's an unfortunate fact of life. But I have no doubt you put all the skeptics in their proper place."

In an instant, the tone of pride and nostalgia in Sango's voice was gone. She turned away and stared straight ahead at the blazing campfire. "Miroku...I..I'm flattered by your confidence, but, well...this time it didn't quite turn out so well."

Suddenly Miroku was hit with a tremendous feeling of guilt. He could tell Sango was about to reveal a horrible experience and his false assumption had only made it worse. "Oh Sango...I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want too. I said I would be with you no matter what this journey involves and I meant it. Just point me in the right direction and I'll do whatever is needed of me. I don't need to know about who you're after. Knowing that he's your mortal enemy is enough."

This simple statement seemed to cheer Sango up a bit. "Thank you Miroku. That means a lot to me. But I'm not going to let you risk your life without knowing the reason why. Besides, this has been haunting me for a long time now. I need to talk about it with someone, and there is no person I'd rather share it with then you."

Miroku was somewhat surprised at this response. Sango was rarely so open about her affection for him and this he could tell this was a very significant event she was recalling. Doing his best to react with restraint, he simply replied "I'm honored you feel that way, Sango. If you are truly comfortable with revealing this tale, then please begin."

"Naturally my first command mission was a simple one, and I was well supported," Sango continued without missing a beat. "My culture may have been harsh, but we weren't so brutal as to throw our new leaders to the wolves. After all, with command responsibility, it wouldn't just be their life on the line. For their first assignment, new commanders would be given a low-risk hunt. And they would be leading seasoned veterans, usually several years their senior. The veteran warriors would provide valuable advice and support to the first-time leader, ensuring he would always have a good pool of knowledge and experience to draw on if he found himself overwhelmed in his task. However, he would still be in command of his troops from start to finish, and they were not authorized to disobey any order except in the most extreme cases."

"A reasonable system with a good deal of safeguards," Miroku commented. "So what was your task?"

"I was to lead four other slayers and Kirara to investigate reports of demon attacks in a nearby town," Sango explained. "The place had experienced a string of demon attacks on unguarded caravans and travelers near the woods. The few who survived the attacks reported a giant plant youkai that would ambush them when they approached heavily wooded areas. When the attacks were reported to the town guards, they would return to the site to find the demon had left no trace behind. Even the bodies of its victims were gone."

"Ah, so it was the same beast who put us through such misery in the woodlands," Miroku realized. "No wonder you were so dedicated to finding it. It eluded you in the past and you felt it was your duty to take it out now."

"Not exactly. I'm afraid it's a lot more complicated then that. You see, this one looked the same as the one we found last week, but it wasn't. It didn't have anywhere near the intellect or battlefield capabilities as our recent adversary. It was a simple roving demon picking on soft targets. It never attacked any well guarded caravans or well armed traveling groups. The town guards probably could have handled it on their own if they had enough men to send on a mission outside the walls. But since they didn't, we were hired for the job, and I was selected to lead it. It seemed simple enough task for a new young commander like me."

"But it didn't turn out that way did it?"

Sango looked back and Miroku and laughed a bit. "Actually at first the main problem was that it was too easy! After stopping by the town for information, we found the youkai after only a few hours of searching. And as soon as I sent my troops into battle, they killed it in less then a minute. I didn't even get to raise my own weapon. It was almost embarrassing. My first command mission was supposed to be a great milestone in my life, and it was completed with less effort then it takes to cut down a tree or plow a field. I didn't get to participate in the battle, make a single command decision of any real significance, or learn anything valuable that would help me on future assignments. My presence on the team had served no purpose whatsoever, and I simply could not return home feeling so woefully un-needed."

"Yes knowing you I could see how that would be upsetting. But the mission was over, so what else could you do? Start a bar fight?"

"That's pretty much what the others told me. Just pack up and go home to celebrate a win, albeit a simple one. But I told them it was worthwhile to do a bit more investigating first. The monstrous plant youkai, we had never seen anything like it before. And the fact that we never found any remains of its victims was something I thought deserved a bit more scrutiny. At the very least, I wanted to find out where it came from and what happened to those it killed. My subordinate troops were against it. They thought I should merely report this back to my village elders and let them decide what to do. But since we were already in the area and had not yet been seriously challenged, I decided we should check it out on our own. Like it or not, the warriors on the team did not have the authority to overrule me."

Sango paused for a bit as she reflected on the bitter argument she had with her team members. "They questioned my judgment and implied it was based on nothing but youthful impulsiveness and desire for glory, but in doing so they only made me more determined to stay on the path I had chosen. It was the first time I had to make a difficult command decision, and in doing so I changed all our lives in a way I couldn't possibly imagine."

"You were only 14, Sango," said Miroku, doing his best to console her. "And whatever the results, I'm sure you were doing what you felt was right."

"Thanks Miroku, but you're not the first one to tell me that," she replied. "I've heard and thought of every possible excuse and explanation for the choice I made over the years, but even after all this time, I still don't know what to think. Maybe they were right."

Then Sango continued. "Through further investigation back in town, we learned of a reclusive hermit living nearby named Zanshin. He had been living in a large fenced off mansion a few miles outside of town for as long as most people could remember, and had a strange obsession with alchemy and science. He rarely showed up in town, except to go shopping for exotic potions or herbs brought in from foreign traders, and ever since the plant demon attacks started, he hadn't been seen at all. Furthermore, many travelers going by his abode reported hearing terrifying sounds coming out of the mansion, especially at night. It seemed certain that he was responsible, so after a brief period of rest, we set out to pay him a visit. As soon as we got there, I could tell we had found our target. The place was surrounded with demonic aura. No one answered our knocks at the door or demands for entry, so we readied ourselves for battle and charged in."

Sango paused for a minute as memories of the horrible day flooded back to her. The clash of weapons, the fury of battle, and shouts of her companions. "Any disappointment I had been feeling about the lack of challenge in my first command mission was quickly put to rest. As soon as we stepped in, we were immediately engulfed in a furious storm of demons. They were unlike any we had ever encountered before. That had all sorts of devastating powers and seemed as if they specifically designed for killing, and as we fought our way deeper into the mansion, we soon learned that actually was the case."

"Really, how so?" Miroku asked while leaning closer to her. It seemed he was getting so immersed in the story that he had forgotten it was real.

"We discovered the place contained some sort of demon laboratory. Zanshin had found a way to create his own demons, and the plant youkai had been his prototype. We never found out how, but it was through some dark methods of science and sorcery, and it involved a lot of exotic ingredients, including one particularly disturbing one: Humans. That's why we never found the victims of his plant youkai. The process of artificially creating demons involved harvesting humans. Miroku...the things I saw in that laboratory have haunted me to this day. As a demon slayer, I'd already seen my share of death, but nothing like this. Carved up, charred, and mutilated bodies everywhere. It felt like I had truly stepped into a living nightmare."

Miroku listened and tried to take it all in. Sango's experience seemed worse then anything he could possibly imagine and he couldn't even think of appropriate response to it. "So what did you do from there?"

"The only thing we could do. We kept fighting. From that point it we knew Zanshin had to be terminated to put an end to his hellish creations once and for all. My warriors congratulated me for uncovering the horrible plot and told me I had made the right decision. Then we fought our way deeper into the mansion until we finally made it to Zanshin's lair. By that time I had already lost two of my men, but it seemed like our victory was at hand. I could see why the villagers never realized Zanshin was a demon. He looked as human as any demon I had ever seen. Even more so then Kouga or Sesshomaru. He seemed to be in his late 30's. though being a demon it was impossible to know his true age, and was well built and strong, but other then that didn't seem particularly formidable. As far as I could tell, he didn't have any special powers like Inuyasha's blades of blood or Kagura's wind control. He wasn't even armed when we first found him, and the fact that he had been creating demons to do his fighting for him seemed to imply he couldn't handle it on his own. We were battered and exhausted from our long battle, but felt sure that we could take him. However, he had a hidden prowess none of us had counted on."

"And what was that? More demon creations?

"No. It was simply the most amazing combination of fighting skill, speed, and endurance I had ever seen, and it remains so to this day," Sango explained. "I had never seen anything like it. I'm not sure even Inuyasha or Seshomaru could match him on those three aspects. It was unreal. No matter how much we hacked him up or beat him down, he just kept coming, fighting the whole time as if injury and battle fatigue was a mere inconvenience. I also soon discovered why he wasn't armed when we found him. He didn't need weapons. He just took the ones we attacked him with. In addition to his other skills, he was a master of hand to hand combat and disarming his opponents. And so the fight raged on, from one part of the structure to the next. I swear we must have gone through every single inch of that accursed mansion, and left a bloody trail along the whole way. Eventually we ended up outside in the courtyard, and by that time there was only me and Kirara left. Just the two of us, slashing and pounding him with everything we had, while he gave us plenty in return. Despite his slashed and beaten body, Zanshin was still hitting us hard as ever. And...then, well... it all just came to an end."

"Came to an end? What are you talking about? What happened?" Asked Miroku.

Sango sighed and looked down at Kirara on her lap. "I...don't really know. Everything just faded away, and the next thing I knew, I woke up on Kirara being flown back to my village. I must have passed out from fatigue, blood loss, or a hard hit. It could have been anything. I was in pretty bad shape, with more wounds then I had received from all my prior demon hunts combined."

Sango paused to pet Kirara a bit and scratch her head, causing the demon cat stretch out and start purring, though she remained asleep. Then Sango continued.

"Either way, Kirara must have seen me fall and flown me to safety. I don't know how she did it with Zanshin present. Maybe he was down too. It could have been any number of things, but there was no way to know. Though Kirara has been blessed with a number of wonderful talents, the ability to speak isn't one of them. So she was in no position to tell how the event came to a close. All she could do was take me back to my village, where I told everyone of the horrors we had encountered. While I recovered from my wounds, they immediately sent an attack force to Zanshin's lair to discover what had happened. But they found nothing. Zanshin was gone, as well as most of the ingredients from his lab. Hunting parties were sent all over the country to try and find him, but we never did. We assumed he left for far off lands or crawled into some lonely corner of the earth and died. We also never found any trace of the slayers on my team either. Not even their bodies..."

Sango suddenly stood up and turned away, causing a surprised Kirara to awaken as she was dumped on the ground. "It was my first command mission and...I...lost everyone. Their families didn't even get the consolation of a proper burial."

Miroku immediately got up to comfort her, leaving Kirara on the ground hissing at them both for being ignored. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen to them, Sango. They were all warriors and willing to fight for a cause along side you, as I am now. You said they even supported your decision once they realized what Zanshin had done."

"That's what my father told me," replied Sango while doing her best to hold back tears. "That and the fact that by driving away Zanshin and destroying his laboratory, I had saved the inhabitants of the region from a horrible fate. We had wiped out his creations before they could overwhelm the town or do any further damage. If I had gone back after defeating the plant youkai, it's possible Zanshin's forces would have grown significantly more powerful and carried out more attacks before our slayers returned for further investigation. My mission was considered a success, and I was praised for my initiative and courage by almost everyone in the village. Everyone that is, except the families of my fallen warriors. They never said anything to me about it, but every time they looked at me, I saw nothing but outrage and blame."

Then Sango turned back to face Miroku. "But I suppose it didn't really matter in the end, did it? After all, if they had survived, it would have only given them a few more years. Then they would have suffered the fate of everyone else: My father, the villagers...Kohaku." Finally she couldn't hold back tears any longer. The strain of the painful memories was too much.

Miroku took her hand in his and spoke in a soothing voice. "Sango, it's alright. I know nothing can replace what you've lost, but you've still got us. Inuyusha, Shippo, Kagome, and both of us. And we we're not going anywhere. The story you've told me hasn't changed my commitment to you or your task one bit. I can't tell you what we're about to go through, but I promise I'll be with you till the end."

Sango pulled away and dried her tears before responding with a tone of burning determination. "I know, and I'm grateful for it. I can't let the past interfere with what we're facing now. The recent attacks by that plant youkai prove that Zanshin is alive and he's returned, so I'm going to finish what I started all those years ago. His minions have gotten a lot more powerful and he's infusing them with jewel shards, but they won't stop me. Nothing will. Now let's get some sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us. Tomorrow is the start of a journey that will only end when Zanshin no longer walks the earth."


	5. A Rough Start

"We should be ready to head out soon," said Sango as she and Miroku finished packing their supplies. It was early in the morning and she was eager to get underway. "I hope you're prepared for a long day, did you sleep well?"

"After your wonderful tale of death, torture, and human sacrifice, how could I not?" Miroku asked sarcastically as he finished securing a pack to the waiting full-size Kirara. "You know Sango, if we do ever defeat Naraku and you get to bear my children, I'd prefer you would come up with some less traumatic bed time stories."

Sango laughed in response. "Well that's the life of a Taijiya for you. I'm afraid the majority of my demon hunts didn't end with hugs and kisses."

Miroku was glad to see Sango in good spirits this morning, particularly after what she had went through the night before. Apparently sharing the dark event with him had eased her burden, at least to the point where she could talk about it with him and sill maintain a sense of humor. "So what's the first step? Once we get to Tazumi, how do you plan to start the investigation? I know it was the closest town to the sites of the plant Youkai attacks, but that's not much of a lead to go on. Zanshin could be anywhere by now."

"Zanshin can't be too far from where we found the plant demon," Sango explained. "He needs to be in close proximity to his creations in order to control them. And he's got to have a place that he uses as a laboratory. He can't just whip demons up out of nothing. We never found out his exact methods. But the process was complex and mulit-layered, requiring special ingredients and equipment. That's the key. If we can destroy his lab, we can end his ability to create more demons, at least temporarily. Long enough for us to track him down unhindered by any more of them."

"But surely he isn't foolish enough to have his lab in the town. There's a whole giant forest around the town and countless miles on unsettled land. We wouldn't know where to even begin looking."

"We'll have a talk with Natsumi, the inn keeper. She owns several stores in town, but her inn is one of the largest establishments in Tazumi, and she was the one who originally hired us to slay the plant youkai, since some of the caravans it attacked were bringing delivering shipments of supplies she was going to receive. I'm hoping she can tell us about the surrounding area and give us the exact location of where the attacks took place. Hopefully there will be something near the attack sites that could be a potential lab for Zanshin. I know it's not much to go on, but it's the best we can do at the moment."

"What a splendid idea!" Exclaimed Miroku. "Naturally I should be the one to question this fine woman. Getting the information we need will be difficult, but I promise I will do what it takes to succeed, even if it takes until nightfall." Miroku paused for a moment as more thoughts flooded in. "Of course if it does take that long, we can simply spend the night at the inn. And seeing as we'll want to conserve our travel funds, it would be best if you and I were to a share a room-"

All the humor and good nature Sango had been displaying that morning quickly vanished. "Miroku! Let's get a few things straight. If you want to come with me on this expedition, I'm going to have to set a few ground rules. First of all, this is still my demon hunt. I know Zanshin and his methods better then anyone else alive. You want to tag along? Then you have to follow my lead without question."

"Not a problem, Sango." Miroku replied calmly while extending his hand to her back. "You know I've always found your authority most seductive..."

"And keep your damn perversion in check!" She replied while slapping his hand away. "This isn't a pleasure trip. We're going after one of the most ferocious and resilient killers you'll ever find. I simply can't overstate how tough this fight will be. No matter what we do to him, Zanshin will be nearly insurmountable as long as he draws breath, and in order to beat him, that's the type of warrior that we'll have to be."

Miroku did his best to regain composure. "Very well. You will my have total commitment from to the task at hand. I promise I will not be distracted by your wonderful beauty, your amazing figure, or the the way your slayer's uniform perfectly shows off the curves of your-"

"Oh I can tell I'm teamed up with a real professional on this adventure," Sango cut in while rolling her eyes and mounting Kirara. "Now come on. If you're done rambling, we've got a demon to track down."

* * *

><p>Within a few hours, Kirara touched down at the outskirts of Tazumi, where her riders dismounted, greatful that the begining of their journey had at least started in a peaceful manner. They quickly made their way through the bustling trading town to Natsumi's Inn. Sango had been alone when she received the mission from Natsumi to hunt the giant plant Youkia, while Inuyasha and the others had been shopping in the marketplace, so Miroku was not quite sure what to expect of the establishment or its owner. However, his eyes widened when they came upon the Inn. Sango had not been exaggerating when she said the Inn was one of the largest establishments in the city. Six stories high and full of amneties, it was one of the most magnificent hotels Miroku had ever seen in his years of traveling.<p>

However, the main lobby of the Inn was mostly deserted, perhaps due to the early morning hours. That and the recent attacks by the plant youkai, which had disrupted local businesses a great deal. Since Inuyasha and his team had defeated it deep in the woodlands and had not reported back to the town since then, it was possible no one knew it was dead. But much to Miroku's delight, the owner of the establishment was every bit as impressive as the building itself. She was significantly older then him, most likely in her late 30's, but was strikingly beautiful all the same, and Miroku had never considered age a factor so long as attractiveness was maintained.

Natsumi was behind the counter in the main lobby and greeted them as they approached. "Ah Sango. I'm glad to see you're back. When you never returned from hunting in the woods, I feared the worst."

"A well founded fear, considering what we went through," Sango bitterly replied. "But I have good news, the youkai is dead. We left it a rotting corpse among the trees. I'm afraid I don't have any proof of this though, so you'll just have to take my word for it."

"Wonderful!" Natsumi cried out in jubilation. "Do not worry Sango, you and your companions have built up quite a reputation in the area, especially your mighty hanyou. Your word, and the fact that there have been no more attacks over the last few days is all the evidence I need. I'll be sure to spread the word to the other business owners in the area, and as promised here as the full amount of your bounty".

With that, Natsumi pulled a box of money out from under the counter and opened it for Sango to inspect. Sango was surprised at first, but then remember she had taken the job on grounds that her full payment would not be received until it was done. The fury of their battle, events afterwards, and focus on finding Zanshin had caused to forget the issue of reward money altogether.

"You have our deepest gratitude, miss Natsumi," Miroku cut in while Sango was collecting the reward money. "But that's not why we're here. It's possible another demon may have been involved in the attacks and we are conducting a follow-up investigation. We have important questions for you and any information you could provide would be most helpful."

Natsumi looked surprised to hear this. "Another demon? I didn't hear of more than one, but if there is anything I can do to help, I will."

"Very well. First of all, would you consider bearing my chil-ah!" Miroku's question was put an abrupt halt as Sango twisted his ear back, forcing him to follow her several yards away to a corner of the lobby for a private conversation.

"Miroku! What the hell was that?"

"Um...force of habit?"

"Force of habit?"

"You see Sango, when you've been asking lovely ladies that question as long as I have, it sort of becomes a reflex-"

"Oh? Well so does this!" Sango countered while slapping him across the face, giving him a hand imprint in a nearly identical spot as the last one. Miroku had to give her credit. Her aim was getting almost supernaturally precise.

With that, Sango marched him back to the hotel counter where a bewildered Natsumi was waiting. "Is everything alright? That can't have been normal."

"You have no idea how much I wish it wasn't," replied Sango in a depressed tone. "Anyway as my colleague was saying, we need all the information we can get. I was hoping you could mark a map with the exact location of the attack sites. Also I need you to tell me everything you can about the woodlands around them. Most importantly, we need to know if there are any large structures or caves close to them. Any place a demon could use as a lair."

"I'm afraid that's asking for a lot of me," Natsumi replied. "I can give you attack sites, but it will take some time to get ahold of a proper map. As for everything else, I don't know woodlands well enough to be of much help. My buisiness takes up just about all my time, so I don't get out of town much."

"That's a serious problem." Miroku pointed out. "The demon we're looking for could be anywhere in the wilderness. Without some idea of where to start looking, we have a very small chance of success. Furthermore, we are rather pressed for time in this endeavor."

Natsumi thought for a moment. "I think I might still be able to help. I know most of the local business owners in the area and quite a few survivors of the youkai attacks. Some of them are bound to have much more detailed knowledge of the surrounding area then I do. Just give me and my employees the rest of the day to talk with them. By nightfall I'll have your map ready and hopefully some vital clues on where to start your search. You can stay in one of my finest rooms until then, free of charge."

"I don't know," said Sango. "That's a lot more time here then I was hoping to spend. We really need to get underway-"

"Without proper information, where would we begin?" Asked Miroku. "Sango, this would clearly be worth the wait. One more day of rest couldn't hurt too much, now could it?"

Sango nodded and gave in. "Very well. Thank you for hospitality, Natsumi. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated."

"Think nothing of it Sango. I lost a lot of business due to the youkai attacks. If another one was involved, I want it dead as much as anyone. Just be patient and I'll get you the information you need. In the mean time, the two of you can relax and enjoy the many perks of my fine establishment."

"We most certainly will...in separate rooms," Sango replied while turning back to face Miroku with a killing look. It was a look Miroku had become very familiar with in their travels together. The expression that Miroku knew meant he had better keep quiet and not protest if he valued his life.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Miroku was in his third floor hotel room working on a new batch of enchanted sutras. There had been no word from Natsumi yet, and Miroku felt this would be the most effecient use of his time until then. Besides, the events of the day had left him in a bitter mood, and he felt he needed to do something to keep himself occupied.<p>

This was the first time he had gotten to spend any significant amount of time alone with Sango and completely disconnected from Inuyasha's group in months, and he had been hoping to take full advantage of it. All the events that had happened since then, their battle with Manomaru, their near death experience in Mount Hakurei, and most notably her acceptance of his proposal after he had freed her from demon control, surely they should cause her to accept his advances far more freely, at least now that they were away from the group. But she had been rejecting him as stubbornly as ever.

_"It's this demon hunt,"_ Miroku thought as he wrote he infused the paper with his holy incantation . _"She's so focused on it that she fears any personal activity between us would be an unacceptable distraction. How infuriating. The one thing that gets me alone with her is the same thing that keeps us apart."_

But this was hardly an acceptable explanation for him. Sure he had come to help her complete the hunt and come back alive, but didn't he have the right to enjoy some quality time with her when the opportunity presented itself? After all, in response to her leaving him in the dead of night, he had instantly dropped all his personal affairs, came up with a brilliant solution to the issues in Kaede's village, and persued her relentlessly until he caught up, all for her sake. Wasn't that enough to prove his commitment and earn something in return?

_"Apparently not," _he thought in disgust, while moving on to another sutra incantation. Then something occurred to him. _"Great Buddha! The opportunity still exists! Once we defeat Zanshin, we'll still be together on our own. That will be the moment I've been waiting for. Completing this full quest together and resolving this significant experience in her life will be just the thing I need. That will set the, oh what was it Kagome called it...atmosphere!"_

Miroku's imagination started running wild as he considered possible outcomes. _"What if I were the one to strike the killing blow against Zanshin? Oh that would be even better. Me defeating the one who caused her so much trouble and grief for so long..."_Miroku pictured the events playing out: Both of them in the heat of battle, suddenly a strike from Zanshin knocked Sango off her feet. As Zanshin closed in to finish her off, Miroku was there, blocking his strike with his staff and planting a burning sutra in his skull, and then sucking him up with the wind tunnel. _"Now that would create the perfect setting."_

With that setting his mind at ease, Miroku threw himself back to his work, determined to create the most powerful weapons he could to complete the task at hand.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, he was interrupted by a knock on his door. He was hoping it was Sango, but only half disappointed to see Natsumi instead. "Greetings, I've found some vital information about the area and possible locations for Zanshin's hideout. You must follow me to my meeting room on the fifth floor. We have quite a lot to talk about."<p>

"Excellent! This is wonderful news." Since pondering the outcome of their quest, Miroku had become as eager to complete it as Sango, and was looking forward to getting underway. "Let me go get Sango and we will head up there at once."

"She's already there. Her room is on the second floor and I informed her on the way up. Now come, we wouldn't want to keep her waiting."

_"Now that's odd_." Thought Miroku_. "Why didn't Sango simply come here to let me know while Natsumi went to the conference room? Guess she must still be mad about my behavior this morning. Natsumi is right. I certainly should not be the one to hold things up!"_

"Well far be if from me to refuse the offer from a beautiful woman," said Miroku. "Lead on."

"Oh you flatter me, Monk. Come now, I think you'll be most pleased with what I have to reveal."

Miroku quickly gathered his sutras he had been working on and followed her out the door, but as he went, he couldn't help feeling something about the sitaution just didn't seem right.

* * *

><p>Miroku's suspicions were confirmed as soon as he walked into the large room. Sango wasn't there, but several other people were, and they did not look like Inn employees. They were all well built and dressed in unusual clothing. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. <em>"Natsumi said Zanshin! How did she know about him? We never mentioned his name!" <em>Silently cursing himself for not realizing the discrepancy earlier, Miroku desperately tried to think of a way out.

"I see Sango isn't here yet. I had better go see what's keeping her," said Miroku, doing his best to maintain a calm and normal demeanor.

"Oh I'm sure she'll be right up. Now please, take a seat at the table and let me explain what I've found."

"Tempting, but Sango should be here for all of it," Miroku replied. "Just wait and here and I'll be right back."

With that, Miroku turned back to the door, but was suddenly intercepted by Natsumi, who stepped in front of him and drew a wheel lock pistol from her Kimono. "You're not going anywhere, Monk," she said as she aimed the pistol at his head. "Do you know what this is?"

Miroku did know what he was facing. He had seen a few of them in his recent traveling with Inuyasha, though most had been longer, and large enough to require two hands to hold. Kagome had told him the tubes of metal and wood were known as "firearms", and had recently been brought to Japan through foreign trade, while also claiming they would forever change the nature of warfare in Japan. Miroku had witnessed the effects of such weapons a few times and could easily see why. The "firearm" had proven to be a devastating weapon on the battlefield, enabling a conscripted peasant with only a few weeks of training to kill a samurai wearing armor worth a fortune and who had been training for combat most of his life.

And now he was faced with one, aimed right at his face, so close he could nearly see the metal ball in the barrel. "That I do," he replied. He also noticed several other people in the room were now holding guns as well.

"Then you know all it takes is movement from my finger to put a hole in your skull. So don't even think of trying to use that Wind Tunnel of yours. You'll be dead before the seal is pulled from your hand."

For the first time since entering the room, Miroku showed visible surprise. "You...know about my Wind Tunnel?"

"Indeed. My business partner Zanshin told me all about both of you."

"Business partner? But you said Zanshin was disrupting your business! He was directing a demon to attack your caravans!"

"Quite a clever story, don't you think? Your girl Sango certainly found it plausible. The truth is every single one of those caravans were carrying goods bound for other establishments in town. Zanshin's plant demon attacks were a wonderful way to eliminate the competition around here, in the most literal way. Of course it did lessen the amount of customers at my Inn, but in return for giving him all the information he needed on our trade routes and caravan run times, Zanshin let me keep a share of the supplies he took from the attacks. My basement store room is practically overloaded with those goods. They will fetch me a much higher profit from them then I get from my regular customers."

"I see. And suppose that explains the weapons you and your henchmen are wielding." Miroku was desperately thinking of a way to overcome the situation, but nothing came up. Natsumi was holding the pistol very close to him, perhaps close enough from him to grab if she let her guard down. But that still would leave a whole room full of people with guns drawn on him. He doubted he could get his wind tunnel uncovered before they turned him into a lead mine.

"Very good Monk," said Natsumi. "By our good fortune, the last caravan to fall before you killed the plant youkai was a military shipment, with enough firearms to supply all of the fine mercenaries you see here. They agreed to take to them as payment for the job I hastily arranged this afternoon while you and Sango were enjoying the great amenities of my Inn."

"Job? What job?"

"To bring you to Zanshin. I'd be happy to dispose of you right now, just as the plant youkai I sent you and your companions after was supposed to do, but I'm afraid Zanshin has a new plan. Something about wanting to study the power of your Wind Tunnel for possible use in his creations. I don't know the details, but as long as he keeps up our profitable relationship I'll be happy to oblige. We'll be taking you to our meeting place at the abandoned village several miles into the west side of the forest tommorow afternoon. However, your companion won't be coming along."

With that, Natsumi turned to talk to one of the mercenaries, a slender woman disguised as an Inn maid. "Zanshin doesn't have any need for the girl, so she'll be checking out early. Go send Sango and her puny little demon cat on their way."

"With pleasure," the female mercenary replied, picking up a short sword and a wheel lock pistol off a nearby table and concealing them in her clothing as she headed for the door. "I'll be sure to give her your regards."

"Just try to do it quietly. I've still got a few customers staying for the night and I'd hate to ruin their evening," Natsumi said with a smile. "And one too many gunshots could attract the attention of the town watch if they happen to be passing by." Then she turned to someone else in the room. "It's possible Sango isn't in her room at the moment. I want a few of your men patroling the hallways in case this doesn't go smoothly. Don't forget this is a demon slayer we're dealing with."

"It is already done, Lady Natsumi," the mercenary commander replied emotionlessly. "You have my word. Sango will never leave this building alive."

_"Sango! No! This can't be happening!"_ Miroku's mind raced as he desperately tried to come up with something. The situation he had walked into was deteriorating so rapidly it almost didn't seem real. But it was. They had laid a simple trap for him and he had stepped right in, and because of it he had quite likely doomed them both. He briefly considered trying to grab Natsumi's pistol while also grabbing her to use as a human shield, hoping that would buy him enough time to get his Wind Tunnel uncovered, but quickly rejected the idea. The mercenaries in the room had no loyalty to their current employer. If necessary, they would shoot through her to get to him.

Whatever chance Miroku might have quickly departed as Natsumi moved several feet away, while keeping her pistol trained on him. "Trying to come up with a bold escape plan, eh Miroku?" Natsumi asked mockingly while sitting down in a chair. "Don't bother, there's no chance. Now you might as well sit down and relax, because tonight your journey ends here."


	6. Midnight Ambush

Sango restlessly paced around her hotel room, impatiently waiting for news from Natsumi. It was already nightfall by now and still there had been no word. Perhaps it was a mistake to spend the day here. If Natsumi turned up nothing, this would be a total waste. One more day for Zanshin to cook up whatever new demonic creation he was working on.

She paused for a moment to glance at Kirara, sleeping peacefully in the corner of the room. _"Well, at least one of us is able to relax_", she thought with a bit of envy. She had been tempted to take full advantage of the Inn's excellent perks, but found herself unable to do so. Any attempt to take her focus off planning for the eventual confrontation with Zanshin seemed like negligence, even if nothing productive could be done at the moment, and she was fairly sure Miroku was not operating under any such restriction.

_"Ah Miroku, what am I going to do with him?"_ As expected, he had been totally unable to keep his vices under control and sometimes it seemed he really didn't appreciate the seriousness of their situation. Yet without being asked, he had dropped everything on a moments notice to come along with her on this journey, and not in a negligent manner. He had still taken the time to ensure everything was taken care of at Kaede's village, and had come up with a rather ingenious, if somewhat manipulative, plan in order to do so. One that Sango never would have considered on her own. Perhaps he really did have the commitment and sense of duty needed to complete the task at hand.

_"Once we close in on Zanshin, Miroku will do everything that is needed of him, just like in the fight against the plant youkai. I know he will." _Sango thought to herself. _"Miroku may be a shameless letcher, but he's also courageous warrior and has always been dependable when our lives are on the line."_

Sango's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. Upon sliding it open she was greeted by a young Inn maid. "Lady Natsumi hopes you are enjoying your stay at our Inn, miss Sango. And she brings good news. We've discovered information about the area around the sites plant youkai. Please follow me to our main room upstairs. We have much to discuss."

_"Finally!" _Sango thought, doing her best to keep the joy out of her expression. "Excellent. Just let me get my things and I'll be right up." With that she turned to wake Kirara and grab her Hiraikotsu in the corner of the room. Although currently in friendly territory, she had always made it a habit to take Kirara and all her weapons just about everywhere when involved in an active assignment. Trouble had a nasty habit of showing up in the most unlikely of places.

As it turned out, this place happened to be a perfect example. Fortunately for Sango, her sense of awareness and combat mindset had not been dulled by the peaceful surroundings. So when the young woman drew her concealed short sword from behind Sango, she was able to detect it and react in time. As the woman tried to strike with an over the top blow to the back of Sango's head, Sango stepped back, grabbed the woman's arm with both hands, and jerked the back of the elbow down hard against the top of her own shoulder. The mercenary woman shrieked in pain as the sword dropped from her hand and clattered to the floor.

Sango immediately followed up her action with a spinning back-hand blow from her right fist, catching the assailant across the side of the face with an impact that slammed her against a wall. Now more concerned with her own survival then keeping quiet, the attacker desperately attempted to draw her pistol, but Sango quickly ripped it out of her hands. Finally in total control, Sango pinned the woman against the wall, gaging her mouth with her left hand while holding the wheel lock firearm against the woman's head with her right.

"Listen to me very carefully," Sango said while trying to keep her rage from the unprovoked attack under control. "We're going to have a little talk and you're going to tell me everything. I assume you've got some help outside this room, but if you so much as attempt to scream, I'm going to kill you. I've never used one these advanced weapons before, but I'm confident I can do it effectively from this range."

With that Sango took her hand off the woman's mouth just enough to let her speak. "What a fool. You pull that trigger and my re-enforcements will come rushing to this room."

"Perhaps, but you'll still be dead," Sango pointed out. "Do you really care what happens after that?" Sango was really hoping this would be enough to convince the attacker to cooperate. Though a trained killer, Sango had been brought up under a moral code that forbid killing humans under all but the most dire and extreme circumstances, even when attacked by them. Up to this point she had never killed a human before, not even in self defense, and while it looked like this status might have to change tonight, she didn't intend to start it off by blowing away a disarmed woman in cold blood.

Fortunately, her effective use of logic and expression showing she meant every word was enough to do the trick. "Fine. It doesn't matter anyway. Natsumi is working with Zanshin, and she hired us, the Red Fang mercenaries, to do her dirty work. She wants you dead and plans to turn the Monk over to Zanshin to use as he sees fit."

The mercenary woman's last statement was so infuriating it nearly caused Sango to end her life on the spot. Fighting against all her basic instincts, Sango maintained her composure. "Miroku? Where is he? What have you done with him?"

The woman laughed. "So you have feelings for the young Monk, do you? Better disregard them if you want to live. He's in the fifth floor, central room. We've got men patrolling the halls on each floor and in the meeting room holding him at gunpoint. If you try to get out of here now, there's a small possibility you might make it. But going after the Monk is hopeless. You've got no chance to survive."

Finally Sango had enough. "Oh? Well just watch me...or on second thought, don't!" With that, Sango struck the woman in the head with the blunt end of the pistol, instantly knocking her unconscious. Catching her body before it hit the ground to avoid making any more noise, Sango laid the woman down on a nearby futon and then tossed the pistol aside. She had seen the effects of such "firearms" enough to know how deadly they were, but decided in this situation it would be more of a liability then an asset. In addition to being untrained in their use, Sango knew they were very loud and useless after a single shot. Her own weaponry and talents would have to suffice, at least for now.

Sango immediately went to work, cutting the sheets from the futon into strips and using them to tie up and gag the woman in case she woke up too soon, while racking her brain for a proper strategy. Much as she hated to admit it, the mercenary woman actually had a good point. Getting all the way up to the fifth floor without being detected would be exceptionally difficult. And even if she succeeded, how was she going to clear out an entire room full of people with their guns trained on Miroku? Furthermore, she knew time was of the essence. After a few minutes, Natsumi would question why the woman sent to kill Sango failed to return, and most likely dispatch the remaining mercenaries to actively hunt her down.

But as she turned around the answer was staring her in the face, literally. "Kirara." Sango exclaimed as she saw the full sized demon cat standing behind her with a concerned look. The struggle with the mercenary woman had awakened Kirara from her slumber, but by the time she expanded to full size, her mistress already had her assailant under control, leaving Kirara with nothing to do but watch the events play out.

Sango went over to a window in the room and opened it up. "Come on Kirara, I'm really going to need your help on this one."

* * *

><p>Takuya, a mercenary of the Red Fang, restlessly patrolled the empty halls of the fifth floor, doing his best to stave off utter boredom. <em>"<em>_What a lousy assignment,"_ He thought to himself. _"Stuck up here wandering the empty halls. There's no chance that slayer girl will make it out of her own room, much less all the way up here. Nothing to do but wait for Aya to return. Speaking of which, shouldn't she be back by now?"_

Suddenly Takuya noticed an open window in the hallway leading to the outside. _"Has that window been open the whole time? I don't remember seeing it before."_Then again, he had been so bored wandering the halls over the last few minutes that it was possible he had never noticed it while walking by. _"Might as well check it out. It's not like I've got anything better to do at the moment."_

Takuya walked over to the window and looked out. As expected, he saw nothing. Then he looked down just in time to see Sango, hovering below the window on an airborne Kirara, swing her Hiraikotsu directly into the center of his forehead, immediately knocking him out and sending him sprawling onto the cold hallway floor.

Sango quickly directed Kirara up to where she was level with the open window and slid inside, doing her best not to make any noise in the process. She could only hope the people in the main room hadn't heard the sound of the body hitting the floor. "Good job Kirara," Sango said to her still-hovering demon cat outside the window. "Now wait out here. I'm going after Miroku."

Kirara responded with a concerned growl and a look of worry on her face.

"I know you want to come with me, but you can't," Sango explained. "You're not exactly made for stealth or fighting in narrow rooms and hallways. If we start getting shot at, you'll be too big a target for them to miss. I need you to wait for me outside. You're going to be our emergency escape route."

Kirara clearly was not satisfied with this role, but she obeyed Sango's command all the same, leaving her to face the dangers of the fifth floor on her own. Fortunantly, a quick search of the area revealed no more guards patrolling the in the halls. Apparently Natsumi had figured there was no way Sango would be able to make it all the way up here, and if she had been moving in the conventional way, Natsumi would probably been right. Sango was very greatful she had never revealed Kirara's true powers in Natsumi's precense, but now she faced her most difficult challenge yet: Finding some way to clear out a room full of gun toting opponents without getting herself or Miroku killed.

As silently as possible, Sango crept through the hallway until she found the main meeting room, where she flattened out against the wall next to the sliding door and took a moment to listen in. Just as she feared, there were several different voices coming from the room. She was pleased to hear Miroku's voice, but could tell there were at least four, maybe five people, in the room with him. That left only one option, one that Sango had been hoping to avoid. Taking a deep breath, Sango strapped on her slayer's gas mask, grabbed a poison bomb from her belt, and struck the fuse. _"_

_"I'm sorry Miroku_," Sango thought as she gently slid the door open just enough to toss it in_. "This is the only chance we've got, but it's going to hurt like hell..."_

* * *

><p>Inside the room, Miroku sat in a chair where he watched the guns trained on him and waited for the worst. Over the last few minutes he had failed to come up with any plan that had the slightest chance of escaping, let alone getting to Sango in time, leaving him with nothing to do but accept his fate and pray that Sango at least could make it out alive.<p>

However, the other in the room were impatient. "What's keeping your girl so long?" Natsumi asked the mercenary commander. "The job should be done by now."

"She probably just cleaning up," the commander calmly replied. "You don't want blood all over your hotel room, do you? And we can't be going out around town with blood covered clothing. Be patient, lady Natsumi, the Red Fang always completes their assignments."

"Well I don't like it. Take two men and go to Sango's room at once. The rest of us will keep the Monk detained in here," said Natsumi while moving closer to Miroku and keeping her ever-present pistol trained on his head

The commander got up from his seat and signaled two of his men to follow as he moved to the door. "If you insist, we'll-"

Suddenly the room fell silent in response to an unexpected sound. It very faint; the simple sound of a small object bouncing along the ground. The commander looked down to see a tiny wood and metal ball rolling toward him until it came to a halt against his foot.

"What the hell is this?" The commander asked while picking the small object up to inspect it. "Wait a minute, this is..." before he could speculate an answer, the object provided it for him. It suddenly started belching out thick yellow smoke, filling the room with noxious fumes. The commander dropped the ball and started screaming in agony as the fumes burned his throat and distorted his vision. "Were under attack!" He shouted before the effects of the poison gas started to subdue him. Soon the others started feeling the effects of the poison as well, as the grenade on the ground continued emit the horrible smoke without letting up.

"It's Sango! She's here!" Natsumi screamed at the commander. "Get out of the room at once!" Then she turned back to Miroku. "It's over Monk! I'll kill you!"

However, despite suffering from the initial effects of the poison, Miroku had used the few seconds Natsumi had turned away from him to close the gap between him and her. As Natsumi attempted to shoot him, he managed to grab the pistol with his left hand, resulting in a furious struggle over the weapon, which Miroku ended by grabbing the chair he had been sitting on and smashing it over Natsumi's head. Miroku gained full control of the pistol and tucked it into the folds of his robe as Natsumi crashed to the floor, but that was the last action he was able to take. He immediately collapsed to the ground and started vomiting uncontrollably as the effects of the poison overwhelmed his senses.

* * *

><p>As soon as she tossed the poison grenade into the room, Sango had to force herself not to barge in right after it. Though she hated waiting, there had to be time for the poison to take full effect and for the room to be completely filled with smoke, which she estimated would take roughly ten seconds. Even with the advantage of surprise and her incapacitating chemical agent, Sango knew the men in the room would still have the partial ability to fight and she needed the bomb's full effects to kick in for there to be any chance of success.<p>

Sango carefully counted off the seconds in her head and then charged in with her sword drawn. Just as she planned, the room was completely filled with thick yellow smoke. Though her slayer's mask protected her from the poison fumes, the smoke still limited her vision to about two feet, far from sufficient to find Miroku in a room so large.

"Miroku!" Sango screamed as loud as she could. "Hold on! I'm coming for you!"

Sango hoped it would elicit a response from Miroku to reveal his location, but instead she got a response from the mercenaries. "Sango's in the room! Kill her!"

Suddenly she saw the form of a mercenary charging through the smoke, clumsily trying to bring his arquebus into action. But the effects on the poison disrupted his senses and he was far too slow. Sango lopped off his hand before he could get a clear shot, and then finished him by thrusting her blade through his heart. Her moral code against killing humans was a luxury she could no longer afford.

As she pulled her sword back out of the man, she heard a voice behind her. "Bitch! You'll die for that!"

Sango turned around in response, just in time to receive a punch to the face from the mercenary commander. The effects of the poison reduced his ability to deliver the strike, but it was still enough to knock her to the ground. He then attempted to shoot her, but his vision was so distorted that it seemed as though he was looking at four different Sangos and couldn't figure out which one was real. Sango, however, did not have any such problems. She hastily grabbed the arquebus on the floor from her first victim and fired a shot into the commander's leg. The commander discharged his pistol into the air in response and went down, the effects of the poison and gunshot taking him out of the fight.

Sango snapped back to her feet and resumed her search, desperately fumbling through the smoke looking for Miroku's outline. Finally she saw him, huddled against the wall while struggling to breath. She also saw another mercenary stumbling toward him, pistol in hand. Taking immediately action, Sango sprinted up behind him, wrapping one arm around his waist and slashing his throat with the other, eliminating the last visible threat in the room. Then she rushed to Miroku and started pulling on his arm.

"Miroku! It's me! We have to get out of here!" Sango screamed while desperately trying to pull him to his feet. Though Miroku had carried Sango to safety in prior battles, their disproportionality in size didn't give Sango the same option. The only way they were going to get through this sitution was if he could at least stand and walk.

"S-Sango?" Miroku sputtered in response. To him she was a mere blur, but he was able to recognize her voice. "C-C-chest on fire. Lungs burning..."

"I know, it's the poison. You'll be fine in about 20 minutes. The fumes aren't fatal, but staying here will be! Now move!" Sango knew the commotion in the room must have alerted the other mercenaries spread throughout the building and they would be flooding the fifth floor in a matter of seconds.

Despite the horrible pain in his chest and throat, Miroku managed to rise to his feet. Sango threw his arm over her back, and with Miroku leaning on her for support, led him out of the smoke-filled room. Now out in the hallway, Sango dragged him to the open window where Kirara was waiting.

But as she rounded a corner to the last stretch of hallway, Miroku suddenly became dead weight and fell. "P-Pain, it's toooo much...Sango, go on without me."

Without so much as a though, Sango went right back to work pulling him back up. "We've been through this before Miroku, and we both know that's not going happen. Now either you get up and get moving, or I'm going to stay here and defend you to the death! There's no purifying barrier to save us this time. We've got to do this ourselves!"

Sango's statement seemed to jolt Miroku out of his stupor. Doing all he could to fight through the pain, Miroku rose from the ground, and the pair was on the move again. "That's it! Keep it going, we're almost there!" Sango could see the open window at the end of the hallway, and it appeared their salvation was at hand. But suddenly her hopes were dashed when two mercenaries charged around the corner at the other end of the hallway, putting themselves between her and the escape window.

"There they are!" one of them shouted as both men aimed their Tanegashima firearms down at Sango and Miroku. "Open fire!"

Trapped in the narrow hallway with no cover or room to dodge, Sango swiftly pulled the Hiraikotsu off her back and held it in front of them as a shield, praying that the heavy boomerang was thick enough to stop musket balls. As the gunshots echoed through the hallway, Sango happily discovered that was the case. Both rounds embedded deeply in the Hiraikotsu, but did not go through it. Unfazed, the mercenaries discarded their empty guns, drew their swords, and ran down the hallway to engage in melee combat.

However, Sango wasn't about to let them get that close. As soon as they started running, she hurled her Hiraikotsu down the hallway at them. Now the situation was reversed: It was the mercenaries who found themselves trapped in a narrow hallway with no room to dodge or manuver, and unlike Sango, they had nothing to use for protection. They could only watch in horror as the mighty boomerang tore through them, quickly cutting them down and continuing on to the wall behind them where it smashed through, creating a gaping hole to the outside world before it returned to Sango's hands.

"Kirara!" Come here!" Sango shouted as she helped the pain-filled Miroku to the giant hole in the wall. The hole was pretty close to the window where Sango had left Kirara, and in an instant she pulled up and hovered outside, ready to fly Sango and Miroku to safety.

As fast as possible, Sango half-dragged the barely mobile Miroku to Kirara. "Come on Miroku, we're almost done!" she shouted as she helped him get on. But even as she said so, she could hear the sounds of footsteps closing in on all side and knew they didn't have much more time. Finally Miroku was properly mounted on Kirara and Sango jumped on behind him. "Kirara! Get us out of here!"

As soon as both riders were onboard, she immediately headed out. But they were not out of danger just yet. As Kirara started to fly away, several mercenaries ran up to the hole in the wall and opened up with a volley of gunfire. Most of the shots went wide, but a single lead ball struck Kirara in the top of her left front leg. Kirara roared in agony and plunged to the roof of an adjacent two-story building, unable to maintain flight with two riders through the pain.

Despite the searing pain, Kirara did her best to lighten the landing, but they still slammed hard into the rooftop, knocking Sango and Miroku off. As Sango sat up, she heard the roar of gunfire still coming from the top floor of the Inn and saw holes appear, as if by magic, in the shingles of the rooftop around her. The mercenaries had massed around the hole in the wall she had created and were still firing at down at her, ones in front taking shots while mercenaries behind them reloaded and handed them fresh weapons.

Any moral qualms Sango had about killing humans were now gone. In response to the persistent attack, Sango flew into a rage. "DIE FIENDISH SCUM!" she shouted as she flung her Hiraikotsu at them in retaliation. Despite the challenge of aiming for a target high above her, Sango made a nearly perfect throw. With deadly precision, the Hiraikotsu tore threw the mercenaries crowded around the hole in the wall, killing several of them and sending a shower of gore and severed body parts falling down to the street below. Finally the gunfire ceased. The surviving mercenaries retreated back into the refuge of the Inn, leaving Sango, Miroku, and Kirara to complete their escape.

Breathing heavily, Sango caught her boomerang and turned back to her wounded companions, who were staring at her in awe. "Kirara, you don't have to fly with us on you anymore, but can you take us down to the street below?" Sango asked as if nothing significant just happened. "Once we're there, we can walk while you hover, and I promise I'll get that metal slug out of you once we are safely outside of town."

Kirara nodded meekly and let both riders mount her again. By now Miroku had recovered enough from the poison effects to walk his own. Once Sango and Miroku were onboard, Kirara flew them down to the empty streets below.

* * *

><p>For a few seconds, they walked in silence, simply taking in all the incredible events that just occurred. But finally Miroku spoke up. "My god Sango, we really did it. We're actually going to get through this." Though the effects of the poison were wearing off, he was still in a state of near-shock. Just minutes before, it seemed certain that he would never see her again, but now here they were, seemingly on the verge of escape.<p>

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" Sango replied with a smile. "But we're not out of the woods yet. All that gunfire was bound the attract the attention of the town gua-oh no!"

Sure enough, Sango's fears were confirmed as a detachment of town guards came running toward the weary group while barking orders at them to halt. In an instant, Sango and her companions found themselves surrounded by over two dozen of them, all brandishing bows and spears threateningly as their officer stepped forward. "I am Captain Daichi of the Tazumi town watch," he said as he approached. "Throw down your weapons and surrender at once!"

Sango desperately looked for a way to escape but there was none. Every possible avenue had been cut off. "Give it up!" Diachi shouted as he realized what she was doing. "You have no chance. Now drop your weapons or die!"

Kiara roared in anger at the threat against her mistress, her claws burning as she prepared to defend her, but Sango put her hand up and signaled for restraint. "No Kirara! We can't fight the town authorities!"

With that, she threw her weapons down in a pile and Miroku quickly followed suit. Soon their weapons were in a pile in front of them, save for Sango's hidden arm blades, which she hoped she could hang on to without being discovered. Though she had taken human lives for the first time tonight, she was not willing to go any further by killing innocent guards who were merely doing their jobs.

"That's better," said Daichi as his men collected the items off the ground. "Now explain yourselves at once. We heard much commotion and racket coming from lady Natsumi's Inn, and you were spotted leaving the scene on that flying demon. I demand to know what happened!"

Sango did her best to come up with a proper recap. "Well it's kind of a long story, you see-"

Suddenly she was interrupted by a guardsman who had stepped forward to pick up the dropped weapons. "Sir! The girl is dressed as a ninja! And her clothing and weapons are stained with blood!"

This caught Diachi's attention. Up to this point he had a hard time making out any details about the suspects in the darkness. In response to this discovery, he grabbed a torch held by a nearby guard and stepped forward to better idenfity them. "No, not a ninja, but a demon slayer." Diachi said as he walked closer. "I recognize you. You are Sango. Several days ago you came to my guard station asking for information about the caravan attacks."

With all that had happened since then, Sango had completely forgotten about everyone in that particular guard station. But now that the officer had recognized her, she hoped to use this to her advantage. "Yes. And you'll be glad to know the plant youkai who made the attacks is dead! Me and my companions hunted it down and killed it in the woods."

"Is that so? I'll need to determine for myself if you're telling the truth, but even if you are, that doesn't explain your conduct here tonight."

"We came back after discovering evidence another demon was involved." Sango rapidly explained. The captain appeared to be a reasonable man and now she was thinking there was a decent chance to talk her way out of the situation. "But it turns out it was working with Natsumi. She was giving vital information to aid in the attacks and when we found out she tried to have us killed!"

"What? That's ridiculous! Natsumi is one of the most respected business owners in this town. She would never get involved with something so sinister."

"It's true!" Sango re-stated. Suddenly her case seemed to be weakening and the odds were looking grim. "Natsumi hired mercenaries to kill us. We barely escaped with our lives! That's what all the ruckus was about!"

Diachi still looked skeptical. "These are very serious charges, miss Sango. Under the circumstances, I find them highly implausible. Do you have any proof of this?"

Sango now found herself at loss for words. _"We've got nothing!" _She realized. _"All the carnage and destruction occurred inside her Inn! It makes us look like the clear aggressors. With Natsumi's reputation, she could make up any story she wants! There is no way the guards will believe our word over hers." _With nothing to say, Sango closed her eyes and stared down, silently cursing the way events were playing. After all she, Miroku, and Kirara, had gone through, it still looked like their journey, and most likely their lives, was still coming to an end. Now Sango found herself almost wishing she had died back in the Inn, prefering a death in battle over life in prison or death by beheading after a wrongful conviction.

"I didn't think so," Diachi coldly replied. "Guards, place everyone here under arr-"

Before he could finish, Miroku stepped forward and spoke for the first time. "Wait! We do have proof. The basement storeroom in Natsumi's Inn is filled with stolen goods from the caravan attacks! If you send your men to search it, you'll find all the evidence you need."

Sango was taken aback by Miroku's claim. _"What's he doing? A mere bluff to buy us time? Or did he actually find this out?"_

"A convenient self-serving story," Diachi observed. "But it needs to be investigated all the same." Then he turned to a subordinate officer. "You! Take a dozen men to Natsumi's Inn at once! I want the building locked down and everyone in it detained. Then I'm going to have every inch of it thoroughly searched. If there is any truth to the Monk's claims, we'll find it."

The junior officer quickly ran off to carry out his commander's orders, while Diachi turned back to address Miroku. "I assure you Monk, your claims will be thoroughly investigated. But until this matter is cleared up, all of you will need to accompany me back to my guard station. You'll stay there until my investigation is complete."

"Thank you sir." Miroku replied, perfectly happy to be anyhwere other then the place he had just came from. "I swear in Buddha's name that you will discover I'm telling the truth."

"That remains to be seen," said Diachi as he led the group away. "So you shouldn't thanking me yet. If I find out you're lying, I'll most likely be the one overseeing your execution."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Intense, huh? Hope you enjoyed this one because it was really hard to write. It took a lot of effort to decide the final outcome out of so many possibilities, but I'm happy with out this turned out, and I hope you are too. But either way, please leave a review and let me know what you think.


	7. Back on the Trail

"Just hold still Kirara, I've almost got it," said Sango as she carefully dug into Kirara's gunshot wound with a set of tweezers from Kagome's first-aid box. Fortunately the musket ball had struck a bone and lodged there, preventing it from going deep into her body, but Sango knew she had to be careful to avoid pushing it in any further.

Captain Diachi had been polite enough not to lock them in a cell while he and his men conducted his investigation at Natsumi's Inn, but he had confined them to a room in his guard station, locking the door and posting guards outside. Now all they could do was lick their wounds and wait for the results. While Sango tended to Kirara, Miroku sat quietly in the room drinking from a canteen. The worst effects of the poison had worn off by now, but pain still lingered in his throat and he was doing all he could to wash it out.

However, Miroku considered the pain to be the least of his concerns. _"It's all my fault_," he thought to himself as he nervously watched Sango at work. _"I came along to protect her, but I nearly ruined everything. Kirara's injury, our current situation, it's all because I fell for such a simple trap! She even had to kill because of me. And after everything Sango did to get us out, it still might be for nothing. Natsumi could have been lying when she told me about the stolen merchandise in her basement. There's no way to know."_ Even they were able to get out of their current predicament, Miroku still wasn't sure if Sango would be willing to forgive him. Though Sango had shown great capacity for forgiveness of Miroku's many past (and virtually ensured future) indiscretions, receiving it for this one might not be so simple. Miroku himself felt he hardly deserved it.

"Alright that's it, hold on for a bit longer," Sango told the demon cat as she managed to get a firm hold on the metal ball with her tweezers. This whole time Kirara had done a remarkably good job of keeping still and not making a sound as she endured the severe pain. "Almost...there! Done!" Finally, Sango finished extracting the musket ball from Kirara and paused to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Let's hope we don't have to go through that again."

Miroku decided now would be as good a time as any to speak up. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Don't worry Miroku, Kirara's as tough as they come," Sango responded with pride in her voice while patting Kirara on the head. "She'll be able to return to normal size soon, and she should be back at full strength within a few days." Kirara also did her part to let Miroku know she would be fine, letting out a soft, but proud roar. "How about you?"

_"Well at least she's still showing concern for me," _Miroku thought before answering. "Well I've seen better days, but I'll manage. What was that stuff anyway? I've never felt anything like it."

"Every once in a while, we'd come across demons who had captured humans alive," Sango explained. "So my people devised a special type of poison to disorient and disable everyone in a specific area without killing them. Unfortunately it's lack of lethality doesn't make it any less painful. Miroku, I really wish I could have avoided using it, but under the circumstances there was no other way. I hope you understand."

Miroku laughed in response. "Sango, after all you did for me, do you really think I'd blame you? Of course I understand, and I'm forever in your debt. Not only that, but I can even appreciate the irony. Use of that poison was the most painful thing you ever did to me, yet it probably saved my life."

Sango laughed as well as the point sank in. Then she walked over and sat down next to him. "I suppose that's true. Miroku, listen there's something I have to tell you."

_"So Sango is going to start this off. Guess I'm in for one heck of a tongue lashing. It's not like I don't deserve it"_

"I...I'm sorry."

Miroku almost did a double take when he heard this. "What? Why would you say such a thing?"

"Our journey has barely started and the first thing I did was lead us right into a trap. I shouldn't have been so trusting of Natsumi, and I shouldn't have insisted on us having seperate rooms. You were acting innapropriately before, but it was still bad tactics on my part. Splitting up is what enabled those mercenaries to get you, though I'm sure it must have taken a large group of them."

"Er..right..a..v-very large group. Naturally I did my best to fight them off, but there were simply too many," Miroku stammered, doing his best to play along. He felt of twinge of guilt for being dishonest with Sango, but she was the one who had provided him with an escape route and it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.

"That's what I thought," continued Sango. "See this is why I didn't want anyone else coming along. Tracking down Zanshin is something that requires total commitment and some very risky decisions. I'm okay with taking those risks myself, but the thought of making decisions that put you or Kirara in harms way is what disturbs me. Now look at what's happened. Kirara got injured, I had to poison you, and we still find ourselves facing an unknown fate."

_"So she really doesn't blame me for what happened? Oh this is just too good to be true," _Miroku thought to himself. _"Now all I have to do is comfort her properly and I should get through this with our relationship unscathed."_

Taking her hand in his, Miroku did his best to be supportive. "Sango, it's alright. We both came along with you knowing the dangers we would be facing, and we're prepared to face whatever is in our path. Like you I'm willing to do whatever is needed to get this quest completed. Whatever risks you feel are necessary, I'll take them without hesitation."

Sango smiled in response. "Thanks Miroku, that means a lot to me." Then she turned away and stared down at the floor. "But the worst thing is, everything we went through was for nothing! Even if Diachi lets us go, we still aren't any closer to finding Zanshin then we were before we came here. We've got no leads, no evidence of his whereabouts, and no clue where to start looking. I just don't know what to do next."

Suddenly Miroku thought of something, causing him to rise from his seat. "Actually Sango, I think I may be able to help with that."

This caught Sango's interest. "What do you mean?"

"Well it just so happens I discovered Natsumi was planning to meet with Zanshin in an abandoned village in the wilderness tomorrow afternoon. Assuming Zanshin doesn't know what happened tonight, he should still be expecting this meeting to take place-"

Before he could finish, Sango practically jumped out of her chair in excitement. "What? You mean while you were in captivity you actually got her to tell you where Zanshin is?"

This time Miroku felt too guilty to be dishonest. "Well sort of. You see the thing is she really just blurted it out..."

Sango seemed far too thrilled to notice his statement. "Miroku! You're a genius!" Sango shouted as she lunged forward and threw her arms around him.

"Uh Sango, you don't seem to understand. She just told me, it didn't really take any effort."

But it was no use. Sango seemed so excited to hear the news that she was totally oblivious to his every word. "I can't believed you pulled it off! She was holding you at gunpoint and you managed to get information that I probably wouldn't have been able to beat out of her! Incredible! That's my Miroku!"

Miroku gave in and returned her embrace. He had made his best effort to be upfront about what occurred, but if she wasn't going to listen, he might as well use opportunity she was providing. The only question was how far should attempt to go with it; a question that practically answered itself. Almost without thinking, he had already begun sliding hands down her back to their target. _"This is it!" _He thought. _"There is no way she's going to hit me this time."_

But it was not meant to be. Before his hands reached their destination, they were halted by Diachi, who had entered the room unnoticed. "Um, excuse me. Am I interrupting something?"

Both Miroku and Sango stared blankly at him for a bit before realizing they still had their arms around each other. Turning red with embarrassment, they quickly separated and turned to address him.

"Ah well I see you all appear to be fully recovered from your ordeal," Diachi continued. "Which is most fortunate. I'd hate to see any of you permanently injured after providing this town with such a valuable service."

"What are saying?" Asked Sango.

"It's over, Sango. The basement of Natsumi's Inn was filled with stolen property from the caravan attacks, just like the monk said. When confronted with such overwhelming evidence, Natsumi made a full confession of her crimes. Her and all the surviving mercenaries have been placed under arrest. You have my deepest gratitude for exposing her involvement in the demon attacks and putting an end to them for good, as I have no doubt you were telling the truth about killing the plant youkai as well."

Sango breathed a sigh of relief, elated that she and Miroku and managed to get through the whole experience with their lives and freedom intact, at least for now. Miroku was also glad, not just that his story had been confirmed, but also that Natsumi had survived his blow from the chair. He had hated the thought of possibly killing a woman, no matter how justified it would have been.

"So what now?" Sango asked.

"Now you are free to go, but I would appreciate it if you would accompany me to my office. I believe we have much to discuss."

* * *

><p>Diachi sat quietly behind the desk in his office while Sango and Miroku explained everything; the fight with the plant youkai, the hunt for Zanshin, and finally, their desperate escape from Natsumi's Inn. "Sounds like you've been through quite a lot," said Diachi as soon as they were finished. "But despite everything, you still want to keep going after Zanshin? You haven't even met him yet and you've already had your share of near-death encounters."<p>

"That's actually pretty common in our line of work," Sango stated bluntly. "I assure you, Mr. Diachi, we are fully prepared to see this through to the end."

"Well if that's the case, it looks like you'll be performing another valuable service for Tazumi, as this Zanshin is clearly a serious threat. Allow me to offer my assistance. I will do everything I can do aid you in this endeavor."

"You can start by giving us some directions," said Miroku. "Natsumi said she was planning to meet with Zanshin tomorrow afternoon. in an abandoned village on the west side of the forest. Do you know what she was referring to?"

Diachi cupped his hands together on top of the desk. "Indeed I do. I grew up in this area and know the forest as well as anyone. I can give you a map with the location, but there is still a serious problem. That village is very deep in the woodlands. The only way you could make it to the meeting place in time is if you left within the next hour. No offense, but I don't think you two are in any condition to be traveling without a good deal of rest, especially with such a good chance of a major battle waiting for you at your destination. You'll be too fatigued to put up much of a fight."

Sango smiled. "Under normal conditions, perhaps not. But we won't be going there on foot. Isn't that right Kirara?"

All this time, Kirara had been on the ground in normal size, nestled against Sango's leg. Upon hearing her name, she jumped onto Sango's lap and gave an acknowledging meow, proudly announcing she was feeling fit to return to duty.

"Oh that's right. I forgot your demon cat has the ability to grow larger and fly. She really is one remarkable specimen. I've been a guardsman a long time and I've never seen anything like her."

"Nor have I," agreed Sango. "Don't worry captain, we'll be able to get a good night's sleep and still arrive at the village in time to pay Zanshin a proper visit."

Suddnely Diachi's voice grew more serious. "I suppose I should be glad to hear that, but you need to understand what you're getting into. That abandoned village is completely isolated. As far as I know, there is nothing but woodlands all around it for miles in every direction."

"In other words, it's the perfect spot for a surprise attack," Miroku realized.

"Exactly. You'll be cut off from any means of support, and if something were to happen to Kirara, it's going to be one hell of a miserable trip back."

"Well it wouldn't be the first time," Sango muttered bitterly, recalled he horrible journey back after fighting the plant youkai. "I appreciate your concern Captain, but this is the only lead we have to find Zanshin, and we might not get another chance. It's an opportunity we simply cannot afford to pass up."

"Very well. If you insist on moving forward, then you will go with the hopes and prayers of everyone in this town. I wish I could send some of my men with you, but I don't have many to spare, and without flying ability, there would be no way for them to keep up. However, I will return all your weapons, and supply you with any provisions you'll need. Is there anything else I can provide?"

"How about a room in your guard station for the rest of the night?" Asked Sango. "As you said, we'll need a good night's sleep before facing the trials of tomorrow."

"Indebted to you. I've got an empty barracks room I can spare."

"Excellent!" said Miroku as they got up to leave. "Come Sango, since tonight may be our last, let's make it a memorable one-ow!"

Miroku was cut off as he once again felt the stinging pain of Sango's open hand. "Sango! What was that for?"

"Dammit Miroku, have you no shame? Diachi is right here in front of us!" Sango angrily chided him. "Besides, we'll be spending the night in a guard station. There's over a dozen other people around here!"

"Well I was planning on being discreet," said Miroku, desperately trying to mitigate the damage of his prior statement. "I can keep it down when necessary..."

But it was no use. His words were lost on Sango as she nervously turned back to Diachi. "Uh Captain, this room had better have multiple beds, or we'll have to pass."

"It does." Diachi replied while trying not to laugh.

Miroku looked hurt at this remark, but decided it was best to keep silent. He already considered himself extremely fortunant the he was in position to finish the night on Sango's good side and doing anything that could jeopordize that status probably wasn't worth the risk.

_"I just have to hold on a little longer._" He thought as Diachi lead them to their room. _"Our confrontation with Zanshin is almost here, and once we've defeated him, then the time will be right!"_

Thought she would never admit it, Sango herself actually found his persistence somewhat amusing. At the very least, it was nice to see all his attention and effort focused on her, save for one errant line made at Natsumi's Inn. _"Miroku, you just never learn, do you? Oh well, he may be a lech, but at least on this journey he's been my lech."_

* * *

><p>The next morning, the group gathered their belongings and were quickly underway. Soon Miroku found himself in his favorite traveling position, behind Sango on the back of Kirara with his arms around her waist as they soared over the woodlands at top speed. "We should be coming up on the abandoned village soon. How are you feeling, Sango? Are you ready for this?"<p>

Sango turned back and replied with an enthusiastic expression. "Absolutely! This is it, Miroku. After all we've been through, our confrontation with Zanshin is finally at hand, and quite frankly I can't wait to get this going! I feel like we can take on anything he'll throw at us."

"That's good to hear, but you might be a bit overly optimistic," Miroku pointed out. "Remember Natsumi didn't give any details about this supposed meeting, nor did she gave an exact time for when it was supposed to take place. We can't even be sure Zanshin is going to show up at all. Natsumi could have lied about the whole thing."

This didn't seem to disappoint Sango one bit. "I know, but I just have a good feeling. Zanshin will be there, I know he will."

"I suppose that's all we can go on right now. Listen Sango, there is something I forgot to tell you before. The reason Natsumi didn't kill me when she had the chance is because she said Zanshin had instructed her to turn me over to him so he could try to use the power of my Wind Tunnel in his creations."

"What? That doesn't make any sense. You've never met Zanshin. He shouldn't know anything about you or your Wind Tunnel," said Sango.

"Exactly. This isn't just about the two of you and your past conflict. There is some other connection between him and the rest of of us. Something we havn't discovered yet."

Sango remained adamant. "Maybe so, but it doesn't change anything. Our course of action and our ultimate goal remains the same either way."

"I suppose not." Miroku replied with a sigh. "Say, Diachi wasn't exagerating when he said the village was isolated. I havn't seen anything below us but trees and hills for the last several minutes."

Sango responded by grabbing Miroku's hand and holding it tightly. "I know. It's just us now, Miroku. The only way we'll get through this is if we can depend on each other, so I hope you're prepared to give this your all."

"Don't worry Sango, you know you can count on me-Hey Sango! Look up ahead. There it is!"

The conversation was interupted as the abandoned village came into visual range. "That's our target!" Sango confirmed, her pleasent demeanor quickly changing to one of intense focus on the mission. "Kirara, fly us overhead. Let's see if we can spot anything from up here."

Kirara made several passes over the village with her riders intently looking down for any sign of life, but it appeared to be a ghost town, with nothing but dilapidated structures and weed-filled untended stretches of ancient farmland.

"I can't see anything, nor do I detect any precense of demonic aura," remarked Miroku. "Either we're too early or Zanshin is running late."

"It's possible, but we can't be sure," Sango pointed out. "The lack of demonic aura doesn't prove anything. Remember he's been working with humans, and you never could detect his last creation. We'll need to head down there and search the whole village for clues."

"You think his laboratory could be down there?"

"It's not likely. None of the buildings in this village look big enough for it, and I doubt Zanshin would be dumb enough to give any human he was working with directions to it's location, no matter how much he trusts them. But there still may be some evidence of where he it is. Besides, if Zanshin is hiding down there, it won't matter. We can kill him and then track down his lab at our own leisure."

Miroku wasn't entirely satisfied with this reasoning. "Sango, I don't like this. That village practically has the word "ambush" written all over it. Surely you must be thinking the same thing."

Sango turned back to Miroku with a determined look. "Of course I am, but we can't turn back now. We'll just have to risk it and deal with whatever is waiting for us." Then she turned back to Kirara. "Alright Kirara, take us down."


	8. New Discoveries and Familiar Foes

As soon as Kirara reached the ground, Sango and Miroku quickly dismounted with their weapons in hand, staying vigilant for any signs of trouble. However, all that greeted them on the ground were the same rotten structures they had witnesses from the air and the haunting sound of winds whipping through the deserted town. It seemed the area was truly a ghost town, and for the moment at least, the group was safe.

"Alright, we need to cover the whole area as quickly as possible," said Sango, immediately taking charge. "Kirara, you go check the fields and open areas in the southern end of the village. Miroku and I will start clearing out these old huts and buildings one by one. Hopefully we'll find some evidence Zanshin was here."

"That's not a wise course of action, Sango." Miroku cautioned. "We need to stay together. Just because we haven't encountered or detected anything yet doesn't mean there aren't enemies lurking about somewhere."

"This isn't the time for excessive prudence," Sango replied with a bitter dismissive tone. "I told you this was going require taking some chances. If we missed Zanshin, then we need to do whatever it takes to discover where he went as fast as possible. I'm not about to let him slip away."

Sango emphasized her final point by walking over to a nearby farmhouse and kicking in the door, knocking it off it's rusty hinges and sending it crashing inside. Then with her Hirakotsu at the ready, she stormed in. Realizing there was nothing more to discuss, Miroku and Kirara reluctantly split up to search the rest of the village just as she instructed.

For the next 20 minutes, the three of them searched as much of the area as possible, with Miroku and Sango checking all the indoor areas and Kirara clearing the perimeter. However, after all this time, none of them had anything to show for their efforts. There was no evidence Zanshin had ever been here. Indeed, they had not found anything to suggest anyone had been there for quite some time. As Sango searched her way through another crumbling structure, she began to wonder if they had truly run into a dead end. However, her thoughts were soon interrupted by Miroku's frantic shouts.

"Sango! Get out here now! Something's coming!"

_"This is it."_ Sango thought as she rushed outside to join her companion. _" It's all come down to this."_

* * *

><p>Sango rushed outside with her weapon ready, but saw nothing in the immediate area except Miroku. "What's going on? Where is it?" She asked, almost sounding excited at the thought of an oncoming battle. Kirara, however, was not present. It was most likely she was too far away to hear Miroku's shouting, leaving Sango and Miroku to face the oncoming threat alone.<p>

Miroku motioned for her to come closer and then pointed to the sky. "Up there! Can you see it?"

Sango looked up in the direction Miroku pointed and saw the object of his concern. Something was up there, currently too high for identification, but decending rapidly. Soon it was low enough for Sango to make out some details . It appeared to be a flying dragon, roughly 12 feet in overall length and carrying a single rider, and within a few more minutes it was low enough for Sango to tell who the rider was. It was Zanshin. Even after all these years, his form was still burned into her memory and she remembered every detail.

"Zanshin," Sango muttered as she watched the demon decend.

For Miroku, this was his first encounter. Right away he could tell Sango had not been exaggerating when she said he resembled a human. Other then his oddly shaped ears and slightly unusual eye color, Zanshin looked human in nearly every regard. It was almost hard to believe such a simple looking man, coming before them in standard clothing and with no visible weapons, could be the immensely resilient and lethal warrior Sango had described to him. The dragon he rode in on appeared more formidable, but Miroku trusted Sango enough to assume he was all the same.

Glancing over at Sango, Miroku saw a fixed expression of hatred and fury in her eyes as she stared straight ahead at her old adversary with her Hiraikotsu ready to strike, but she said nothing. It seemed Zanshin's sudden appearance had left her completely speechless, allowing Zanshin to start things off.

"Well well, this is most surprising," Zanshin said calmly as he stepped off his mount. "I was under the impression Sango would be dead by now, and you, Miroku, would be delivered to me from Natsumi's custody. I guess things didn't quite work out that way."

Finally Sango spoke for the first time. "Sorry Zanshin, but there has been a change of plans, due to the fact that Natsumi will be inhabiting in a prison cell for the better part of her life. Your entire operation is over, permanently!"

Zasnhin seemed unconcerned by this information. "No matter. Natsumi was starting to outlive her usefulness anyway, especially since your meddlesome group disrupted my caravan raiding operation. The supplies I did acquire will be sufficient for the next phase of my plan."

"And what would that be?" Asked Miroku

"Why to overrun the town of Tazumi, of course. "I've acquired enough supplies to create my own youkai army, easily powerful enough to overcome whatever token resistance the town guards could put up. And once it's under my control, I'll have even more resources to expand my forces. Nothing will be able to stop me!"

"Resources...you mean people." Sango responded angrily.

"Pitiful humans. That's all you ever will be. A mere resource to use for my creations as I see fit. The two of you are no different. Your own powers and talents are nothing but raw materials I'll use to enhance my army."

This was all Miroku needed to hear. "You will find doing so most difficult...after I've sucked you into an endless void!" Miroku was about reach for the seal on his right hand, but Zanshin stopped him.

"Oh? I suppose you plan on pulling me into that wind tunnel of yours. Really Monk, you insult me with such a predictable manuver. I've prepared for everything."

With that, Zanshin made a visible hand signal with his arms above his head. Suddenly a huge group of Saimyosho wasps came pouring out of the surrounding woodlands. The exact number was hard to determine, but Sango estimated there were at least two dozen of them. She also noticed something else. These particular Saimyosho seemed different. They looked larger and more menacing, and were differently colored as well.

"Surprised?" Zanshin asked, sounding as if his victory was already assured. "If you are wondering why these particular Saimyosho look different, it's because I gave them some special enhancements, most notably the same poison that nearly killed your Hanyou mutt. I'm sure you can imagine the effect it would have on a mere human. You would be dead the exact instant you sucked in even a single one of them, so I suggest you keep the Wind Tunnel sealed if you wish to prolong your inevitable fate a bit longer."

Reluctantly conceding his point, Miroku left the seal on his wind tunnel. "This doesn't make sense!" He shouted in frustration. "How did you gain control of Saimyosho? How do you know about me?"

Zanshin laughed. "I don't really have any reason to tell you, but I suppose I'll oblige you this one time, seeing as you're both about to die anyway. It's all thanks to the wonderful partnership with a fellow demon I think you both know well. His name is Naraku!"

For a moment, Sango and Miroku could do nothing but stare ahead in utter shock as his words sank in. Eventually, Sango spoke up. "You're...working with Naraku?"

"I most certainly am," Zanshin replied. "You see Sango, when we first met all those years ago, you and your fellow slayers did one hell of a number on me. Never in my life had I ever endured such pain and suffering. By the time it was over, I was barely clinging to life. Really, there is a fairly good chance that Nekomata demon of yours could have finished me off, if she wasn't so concerned with saving your worthless hide."

Sango clinched her teeth and tried to contain her rage. _"So that's how it played out. Considering the outcome, Kirara should have finished the job, even if it meant my life. _Still she couldn't help but be impressed by Kirara's loyalty.

Meanwhile Zanshin continued: "After the battle, I knew I had to leave. I was sure your village would send a large team of slayers to avenge the loss of their people and I would be in no condition to fight them when they arrived. So I packed up all the supplies I could carry and headed for far off lands, eventually taking a ship to China, where I knew the hunters from your village would never find me. And it was there I spent the last few years, restocking the invaluable supplies you destroyed and recovering in preperation for my eventual return. Needless to say, I planned to come back and wipe your puny village from the pages of history!

"Well then it's a pity you didn't come back sooner!" Sango shot back. "We would have handled anything you could have thrown at us."

"You mean the same way your village 'handled' Naraku and his minions?"

This comment caused Sango to pause as she seathed with rage, while Zanshin continued. "When I returned I discovered someone had already beaten me to the task, much to my disappointment. The village was a lifeless husk, and naturally I assumed you had died along with all the others. I was just about to leave when I met a most unusual fellow, who said his name was Naraku and claimed he was responsible to the destruction of the village. Then he revealed a most interesting fact: you were still alive. Not only alive and well, but traveling with a group and warriors to seek out objects of immense power called the Shikon Jewel shards, which he demonstrated could grant any wielder immense power."

Sango could barely contain herself. "What are you talking about? What sort of demonstration?"

"He showed me the prowess of your own brother, Kohaku," Zanshin smugly replied. "Really Sango, you should be greatful to him. The jewel shards have turned Kohaku into a greater warrior then a lifetime of training and experience in your village ever could."

"You monster!" Sango shouted while hurling her Hiraikotsu at Zanshin, which he dodged almost effortlessly and watched it return to her hands.

"Struck a nerve, didn't it?" Zanshing asked. "It's hopeless Sango, I know you all too well. And thanks to Narku, I know everything I need to know about your worthless companions too. That's why you've been falling into my traps one by one."

Suddenly Miroku realized something, "The plant youkai! It wasn't just there to raid the caravans. You made it specifically to kill us."

"Ah, it's all starting to come together now. Yes indeed. Think about it. All those abilities specifically adapting to your tactics. The poison that rendered your Wind Tunnel unusable. Did you really think that was all a coincidence? The knowledge of your group and the power of the jewel shards enabled me to build the ultimate weapon against you."

"Yet we prevailed," Miroku pointed out. "Your 'ultimate weapon' was a failure in the end."

"Not exactly. It still served it's purpose." Explained Zanshin. "Your strongest warrior was decimated. Your group has broken up. That's all we needed to proceed with the next step."

"Which is?"

"Your utter extermination! While I eliminate you two whelps, Naraku will be personally leading an assault of Kaede's village. With Inuyasha out of the picture, it will be an easy victory, though neither of you will be around to see it. Perhaps he'll even bring Kohaku along. His newfound skills would certainly prove most valuable in overcoming your comerades' last stand."

Miroku was about to respond this shocking revelation when he was suddenly cut off by Sango. He expected Sango to be in an uncontrolable fury, but instead she seemed surprsingly calm and restrained.

"Really Zanshin, do you honestly think we'd fall for such an obvious ploy?" She asked, sounding somewhat amused.

"Why Sango, whatever do you mean by that?"

"It's a trick. You're just trying to make us panic. Get us thinking about leaving you alone so we can go back to aid our friends. It won't work."

Miroku was disturbed by Sango's calm defiance. As long as he had been traveling with her, Sango's loyalty and dedication to Kohaku and her companions was always above reproach. Now she seemed to be treating their fate as inconsequential and her immediate emotionless dismissal of Zanshin's claim they were in serious danger didn't seem like Sango at all. _"Could it be that her determination to eliminate Zanshin is starting to overrule her better judgement?"_

Zanshin just laughed. "You insolent worm! Do you honestly think I'd be afraid of you? It does't even matter if you believe me, because you're about to die right here. Naraku promised me more jewel shards once I carry out this task, and you won't stand in my way."

"Are you really that stupid, Zanshin?" Sango asked. "Naraku has no more use for you then you have for humans. Once he's done with you, he'll come to take his shards back."

This didn't seem disturbing to Zanshin at all. "Let him try. By then, my creations will be unstopable. I'll demonstrate by having them kill both of you!" With that, Zanshin turned away and an upward hand gesture, as if giving some pre-determined signal. "Demons! Arise from the earth!"

Suddenly the ground started to shake. Sango and Miroku could only watch as the earth around them split open in several places, and from the gaping holes, four humanoid demon warriors emerged, looking ready for battle and armed to the teeth.

As the ground stopped shaking, a quick assessment about her oncoming opponents revealed a striking fact. They were armed with the same weapons used by the slayers from her own village.

"See something familiar?" Asked Zanshin. "I created them from the souls of your own fellow slayers, the ones who fell against me all those years ago. I've been saving them all this time for the moment when we meet again. All their tactics, all their training, all their experience, all their equipment, is now combined with the powers and prowess of a demon body and is completely under my control. Look well, Sango, for they shall be your doom."

If Sango was even remotely reluctant about fighting the new forms of her old companions, Miroku couldn't find any evidence of it. "So this was your plan in case the meeting with Natsumi didn't turn out as you hoped. More rabble thrown to the slaughter" Sango observed. "Zanshin, I'm dissapointed in you. I didn't realized you had lost so much courage over the years. Are you afraid to face us on your own?"

Zanshin laughed. "Why put the effort into those who are so unworthy of my time? I have better things to deal with then the likes of you. Savor your final moments Sango, for you are about to become a permanent part of this village."

Then he hoped back on his dragon mount and had it take off, shouting one last command to his demon soldiers as he flew away. "Kill them both and bring whatever remains back to me. They might still prove of some use yet"

"Yes master." One of them responded emotionlessly. With that, the four demon soldiers started to advance toward Sango and Miroku. But rather then charge into combat, their advance was slow and methodical, as if they were sizing up their opponents, while maintaining a defensive posture, and trying to come up with a strategy for what they observed.

_"Just like I was trained to do." _Thought Sango. _"Guess they really do have my tactics."_ But even with the four demons closing in, Sango had even greater concern for something else. Zanshing was getting away! With no ability to detect his aura, she and Miroku would have no way to track him. He could go anywhere, and even if they won this fight, they would have to start their hunt from scratch. Unless...

"Kirara!" Miroku shouted greatfully as the faithful demon cat soared to their location, claws aflame and ready for battle. Apparently the shaking ground had alerted her of the danger in the center of the village and now she was rushing to their aid. "Praise Buddha you've arrived! You aid in this fight is greatly needed..."

But Sango had other ideas. "Not now Kirara!" She intructed while stepping in front of Miroku to overrule him. "See that flying demon up there? It's Zanshin! Follow him, but do not engage! Find out where he's going and then come back here at once!"

"Sango? What are you doing?" Asked Miroku in surprise. "These demons outnumber us and they seem like they are Zanshin's elite! Kirara's assistance is..."

"Something we'll have to make do without!" shouted Sango. But now Zanshin was a mere speck from Sango's view and he needed to be persued at once for Kirara to have any chance of catching up. "Kirara, get after him now!"

Kirara's facial expression showed she clearly agreed with Miroku, but she flew off after Zanshin anyway. She had never disobeyed a command from Sango in combat, and she had no intention of doing so here, leaving Miroku and Sango behind to face the four demon soldiers with the large group of Saimyosho still buzzing overhead.

"Dammit!" Shouted Miroku in frustration as he took hold of his staff and prepared to face the oncoming hoard. Before he was wondering if Sango's determination to complete their quest was overriding her better judgement. Now he was almost certain that it was.

"We can talk about this later." Sango calmly replied, realizing his frustration. "Now come on! We've got some demons to slay!"


	9. Rural combat

**Author's Note:** Before this chapter starts, I believe some weapon terminology may be necessary for those who don't know about 16th century Japanese warfare:

**Katana:** The most standard sword used by Japanese foot soldiers. A simple curved blade that comes in many different sizes.

**Nodachi:** A huge two-handed sword, the Nodachi was the ultimate weapon in terms of offense. It's long range and massive size made it devastating when used by the few warriors who were strong enough to wield them.

**Naginata:** A spear and an unusually long blade, the Naginata was one of the most effective and versatile weapons of the era, giving the wielder the power of a sword and the long reach of a spear.

* * *

><p>"So Sango, I don't suppose you have any brilliant plans on how to defeat twice our number?" Miroku asked while clutching his staff tightly and clinching his teeth. No attempt was being made to hide his anger at her decision to send Kirara away.<p>

"Actually I do." She calmly replied. "A throw from the Hiraikotsu should scatter them. Then I want you to take off to fight them through the woodlands, while I remain to fight the others here."

"You want us to split up? Why on earth should we even consider such a thing?" Regardless of how angry he was with Sango, the thought of leaving her in the middle of battle was simply unacceptable.

"Because they'll break into pairs to fight us both." Sango tried to explain as fast as possible with the demon soldiers closing in. "One-on-two gives us a better chance of survival then two-on-four. Now get ready..."

Miroku was practically beside himself with anger. "That's your plan? How do you even know they will split up evenly to go after us?"

"Because they're using my tactics, remember?" Sango pointed out. "And under these conditions, that's what I've been trained to do. Unless you've got any better ideas, prepare to get moving, because our time is up!"

Sure enough, the demons had finished their pre-battle assessment. At that very moment, they drew their weapons and started to charge. But before they could get close, a strong throw of Sango's Hiraikotsu caused them to dive for cover out of the way. Sango was disappointed, but not surprised that she had failed to hit a single one of them. These demons were too powerful and knowledgeable of her weapons to fall victim to such a basic long range attack.

At that moment, Miroku took off for the woodlands just as he had been instructed. Though he hated the idea of leaving Sango, her plan made tactical sense, and he could not bring himself to disobey her. At the start of the hunt, he had agreed to follow her lead without question and he knew the wrath he faced from her if he went back on his word might be as deadly as the demons he was facing now. As soon as he got deep enough into the forest, he looked back to discover Sango's prediction was correct. Two of the demon warriors were chasing after him, charging through the forest and gaining fast. He had hoped for the vague possibility that the Saimyosho would remain with Sango, enabling him to use his Wind Tunnel, but as he expected, this was not the case. Every single one of them had gone after him, hovering above the pursuing demons to ensure his Wind Tunnel would remain sealed.

Miroku kept running and brought his staff up in a defensive position as the first demon warrior caught up, raising it just in time to block an overhead swing from the demon's slim Katana blade. He immediately countered, slamming the blunt end of his staff into the demon's chest and then following through with a strike across the face with its bladed tip, slicing open a big gash across the demon's face and knocking him to the ground.

But before Miroku could go any further, the second demon infantryman was upon him, swinging wildly with a giant Nodachi sword. Now Miroku didn't even attempt to block the oncoming blows. The demon's sword was far too large for his thin staff to be effective in a defensive manner. Instead, all he could do was run further into the forest, while quickly shifting back and forth to dodge as sword swings whirled around him and occasionally cut and through his robes, missing his body by inches. Much to his dismay, he saw the other demon had risen to his feat and was coming after him too. The wound across his face had not incapacitated him in the slightest degree.

As the demons chased him deeper into the massive forest, Miroku realized he had to do something to get the momentum back in his favor. Without warning he reached blindly into his robe and hurled a massive barrage of enchanted sutras in their direction. His quick throw and the demons' fast reflexes caused most of them to miss, but it forced one opponent to dive out of the way, while one sutra hit the Nodachi-wielding demon in the leg. He immediately dropped to the ground, rolling in pain and furiously trying to pull it off.

_"Now's my chance!"_ Thought Miroku. _"I've got to take the other one out while he's down!"_ Rushing over to the other demon, Miroku took the initiative by unleashing a devastating fury of blows from his staff. Now it was the demon who was on the defensive, desperately blocking and dodging as blow after blow from Miroku's staff sliced through his flesh and pounded his bones. Finally, a powerful strike to the head sent him crashing to the ground.

However, before he had the chance to finish him off, Miroku heard the noise of rapidly approaching footsteps behind him, causing him to turn around just in time to see the other demon charging at him with his Nodachi held high. With no time to move, Miroku could only raise his staff in an attempt to block the oncoming blow. His block was successful, but the other weapon was so much more powerful that the impact sent Miroku's staff flying out of his hands. The demon then followed up his sword strike with a kick to Miroku's head, sending him stumbling backward several steps until he collided with a large tree.

Now with Miroku pinned against a tree with no room to maneuver and no weapon to block his opponent's blows, the demon charged in for the kill. Miroku quickly reached into a pocket in his robe for more sutras to throw, but to his horror, there were none. He had already thrown nearly all of them, and had no time to check his other pockets for more. However, he felt something else: The pistol he had taken from Natsumi. In the excitement of battle, he had completely forgotten it was there, but now it was his only hope. As the demon closed in, Miroku quickly pulled out the firearm, pointed it at it's head, and pulled the trigger, firing the weapon just inches from the demon's face.

The crack of the gunshot boomed throughout the forest as the bullet tore through the demon's skull and blew out the back of his brain, killing him instantly. Finally, Miroku had taken down one of his opponents. But it provided him no respite. As the smoke cleared, he saw the other demon had recovered and was rushing back into the fight. The pistol in Miroku's hand was now useless for it's intended purpose, but it was still a heavy blunt object. Miroku quickly dodged a sword thrust from the oncoming demon and countered by slamming the butt of his gun into his face. Then he drilled the demon in the head with an outward swing, once again knocking him off his feet and striking him so hard that the gun slipped out out of Miroku hand in the process.

Miroku hoped his blow was strong enough to keep the demon down, at least long enough from him to pick a weapon up off the ground, but it wasn't. Almost immediately, the battered and blood-covered demon was rolling back up and reaching for the katana sword he had dropped. In pure desperation, Miroku did the only thing he could think of. He threw himself on top of the fallen demon and started hammering him in an attempt to prevent him from regaining his sword. While trying to defeat a demon with nothing but his fists seemed almost suicidal, Miroku figured it was better odds then trying to fight against a sword-wielding demon while unarmed.

For the next several seconds, Miroku and the demon wrestled along the ground, trying to kill each other with their bare hands. Eventually, the demon warrior broke the stalemate by slamming his knee into Miroku's chest and shoving him away with tremendous force, sending Miroku tumbling down a nearby steep embankment before rolling to a stop face-down in shallow stream. On the hill above Miroku, the demon looked down on his opponent lying face-down in the water below. It seemed like the time for his victory was at hand. Screaming at the top of his lungs, the demon drew a dagger from his belt and leaped from the hill to the stream below, preparing to make a killing strike as he landed on Miroku.

But he never got the chance. As soon as the demon was in the air, Miroku rolled onto his back and opened up his Wind Tunnel. Caught in mid-air decent, the demon had no way avoid his fate, and could only watch helplessly for a few seconds as his own momentum carried him to his death inside the void. The hoard of Saimyosho wasps behind immediately rushed to Miroku, but his fall had created enough distance from them that he was able to re-seal the Tunnel just in time. Now with their purpose nullified, the Saimyosho scattered, flying off into the clouds.

Exhausted but victorious, Miroku pulled himself out of the water to catch his breath and check himself for injuries. Amazingly, he found none. Though his robe was soaked, covered in mud, bloody, and slashed in several places, he had received nothing but a few minor cuts and bruises. _"A total victory!" _Miroku thought to himself as he climbed up the hillside to retrieve his staff, though he had to admit it was somewhat unconventional. "_Sango would be impressed."_Suddenly the thought of Sango snapped him alert. Realizing Sango could still be in danger, or worse, Miroku took off at full speed, his desire to help her completely overwhelming his weariness and fatigue. Soon he was able to find his weapon and prepared to rush to her aid. "_Don't worry Sango, I'm coming."_

But suddenly Miroku realized that would not be the case. Fear gripped him, a greater fear then he had ever experienced in battle, when he realized his fight with the two demons had taken him too deep into the forest. He could see nothing but trees and bushes in every direction. He had no idea where he was, and more importantly, no idea how to get back to the village to help Sango. As with Zanshin and all the other demons under his control, the demons he and Sango faced today did not give off any hint of demonic aura.

Desperately Miroku started searching the area, looking for any sort of pathway or landmark that could help lead him back to the village. Though he had full confidence in Sango's abilities, he still found himself running through the worst possible situations in his mind. _"Sango, please hold on. I'll get there soon, I promise."_

* * *

><p>As Miroku led two of the demon warriors away into the woods, Sango made her move. Knowing the two opponents she was facing knew her tactics, she decided to do the one thing they would not be expecting her to do when faced against larger, stronger, and more numerous opponents. She attacked. A vicious, furious attack. Charging in at full speed, Sango swung away wildly with her Hiraikotsu, sending both foes scrambling out of the way. Eventually she made contact with one of demons, striking him in the center of his face with a hard blow that sent him skidding across the ground. The other one moved in to strike her head from behind, but she raised the giant boomerang in time to block the blow. The she immediately countered. Dropping the Hirakotsu to free up her arms, Sango slammed her elbow hard into the demon's unarmored chest and then caught him across the chin with a side heel kick, sending him crashing through the door frame of a ruined house. As the demon rose to his feet, Sango picked up the Hiraikotsu and hurled it in his direction, throwing it too fast to make precise aim. Fortunately, a precise hit wasn't necessary. Instead of striking the demon, the massive boomerang tore the through the foundation of the house, causing the entire rotten structure to collapse on top of him. The demon soldier only had time to look up in surprise before he was buried under a mountain of rubble.<p>

However, there was one problem. The Hiraikotsu was buried under the rubble as well, and would be sorely missed as the other demon had recovered and was rushing back into the fight. Sango barely had time to draw her sword as the second one rushed at her, attacking with a massive Naginata spear. Armed with only her slim Katana, Sango found herself outmatched on the defensive, desperately back-peddling as she avoided the demon's thrusts and swipes. The whole time Sango looked for an opportunity to counter-attack, but the other weapon was so much longer then her's that she couldn't get close.

Finally Sango got her chance when an errant thrust lodged the spear tip into a building wall, and she took full advantage, swinging her own sword down on the Naginata's wooden handle and slicing it in half. Now instead of a spear, all the demon had was a carved up wooden stick. However, this turned out to be more effective of weapon then Sango realized. As she moved in to strike the demon, he stopped her by grabbing her wrist as she was swinging her blade. Then he slammed the wooden handle into her chest. Instantly, Sango dropped her sword and doubled over on the ground, groaning in pain. The demon responded by picking Sango's sword off the ground and pulling a similar katana from a sheath on his own belt. Sango narrowly managed to roll out of the way as he brought both weapons to bear, stabbing them into the spot where she had been and missing by mere inches.

If Sango had seemed out-matched before, it was nothing compared to the situation she faced now. Winded and without her primary weapons while facing an opponent armed with two swords, Sango decided continuing a conventional fight was far too difficult. Instead she found herself literally running for her life, darting between huts and buildings with the enraged heavily armed demon hot on her heels and slicing at her whenever he got close. Suddenly spotting an old barn up ahead, Sango came up with a plan. Without warning, she stopped, turned around, and threw a poison bomb at the pursuing demon, causing him to dive into a nearby ruined household to avoid the toxic fumes. As soon as the bomb left her hands, Sango ran off into the barn and slammed the door shut.

As soon as the poisonous vapors dissipated, the demon charged out of the house he had been taking refuge in and immediately looked to re-engage. Seeing Sango was gone, he found her footprints in the ground and followed them to the barn. Without even bothering to slide open the door, the demon simply smashed through the ancient wall of the structure with his swords ready for combat. However, no one was visible. The entire place seemed abandoned. The demon did a thorough search of the area, but found no evidence Sango was still there. He was just about to leave when he noticed something. Tucked away in the corner of the barn, he saw a few piles of hay with something unnatural sticking out of them. Upon moving closer, he saw what it was: The scabbard for Sango's katana sword. Only a few inches of it were visible, but the demon could clearly identify it and knew full well the last time he saw it, it was attached to Sango's waist.

_"I have you now," _The demon thought to himself as he crept up to the piles of hay as silently as possible. As soon as he was close enough, he thrust the blades into the piles hay where the sword scabbard was visible, expecting feel the impact of them impaling through Sango's body in the process.

But it didn't happen. The demon felt no impact as his swords cut through the hey pile. He heard no death cry, and saw no blood seeping out. All he had time to do was realize he been tricked before Sango jumped down from the hayloft above, landed behind him, and thrust her arm-blade through the back of his head, earning herself an instant kill. The demon immediately became inert weight and the swords dropped from his hands as he collapsed next to them, dead before he hit the ground.

Breathing heavily from fatigue and injury, Sango pulled her scabbard out of the haystack, picked up her sword, and headed back out. She wanted nothing more then to sit down and rest for a while, but that was out of the question. Miroku was still out in the woods somewhere, and she couldn't rest until she knew he was safe. _"Keep up the fight, Miroku, I won't be long."_

But first there was the matter of retrieving her Hiraikotsu. Heading back to the site of the demolished house, she happily discovered it was visible amid the wreckage. The last thing she felt like doing was digging through the rubble, especially with Miroku still in need of assistance.

However, as she started to pull the heavy weapon out of the ruins, she quickly discovered her own problems had not yet been resolved. The demon who was buried by the collasped house suddenly burst out of the rubble and charged at her with unstoppable fury. Sango could see he was gore-covered mess, but that provided little comfort, as this did not reduce his determination to kill her one bit. Sango quickly dove out of the way as he brought his sword down on the spot where she had been, forcing her to leave the Hiraikotsu where it was amid the ruins.

Instead, she drew her sword and prepared to defend herself yet again as the demon came charging back at her. But before he reached her, an enraged Kirara swooped down upon him from the sky, catching the demon (and a bewildered Sango) completely by surprise. Sango watched in amazement as Kirara's massive body flattened the demon on the ground and tore him to pieces with her teeth and burning claws, continuing to bite and rip him apart long after he stopped moving.

At some point, Kirara realized she was just ripping up a corpse and stopped, turning back to her mistress, who was still looking at her with awe.

"Uh..t-thanks for the assist, Kirara." Sango sputtered out, still shocked by Kirara's timely appearance. "I guess that takes care of things here. I hope you found out where Zanshin was going."

Kirara nodded her head and roared happily in acknowledgement.

"Great! Now come on and help me pull the Hiraikotsu out from the rubble. We've got to go find Miro-"

"Sango!" Miroku interrupted as he came running out of the woods and through the village. After several minutes of wandering, he had finally managed to find his way back and was desperate to learn of Sango's fate. "Sango! Are you okay? Where are the demons?"

Sango happily turned in response to meet him. "Miroku! You're alright! Everything's fine here!"

Upon hearing this, Miroku took a moment to stop and catch his breath. "Oh thank goodness you're safe. Those demon warriors were so vicious, I had no idea what they might do to you."

"Don't worry Miroku. Those demons gave me some problems, but I was able beat them, with some timely aid from Kirara of course," Sango explained while patting Kirara's head affectionately.

"Glad to hear it," Miroku replied. Then suddenly the tone of his voice became far more serious. "Of course, she could have helped both of us a great deal more if you hadn't sent her away so recklessly."

Sango rolled her eyes. "You're still upset about that? I told you this hunt was going to involve taking risks."

"You never mentioned unnecessary ones that could easily get us killed." Miroku countered. "Honestly Sango, I expected better judgement."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you," said Sango, doing all she could to emphasize her sarcasm as she and Kirara pulled the Hiraikotsu out from the rubble pile. "Now are you done pouting? If so, then come and join me on Kirara. We need to move out."

Though this was hardly a satisfactory answer, Miroku agreed nothing more could be gained from this conversation. "Fine. We can talk about it on the way back to Keade's village. Hopefully Naraku's attack has not yet commenced."

Now it was Sango's turn to become serious. "You don't seem to understand our situation. We're not going back."

For a few seconds, all Miroku could do was stare in disbelief. "Sango. Didn't you hear what Zanshin said? Naraku is going to assault Kaede's village! All our friends are there and they need our help."

"We don't know that!" Sango pointed out. "Zanshin could have been bluffing. Inuyasha could have recovered by now. We don't have enough information to take the chance of letting Zanshin get away. Now come on! Kirara is going to take us to wherever she tracked Zanshin too. The fact that she's back already means he couldn't have gone far."

"And what if Zanshin was telling the truth?" Asked Miroku. "What if Inuyasha is still too badly injured to fight?"

"The village will still be under the protection of our companions, and Kouga's wolf demon tribe," Sango calmly replied. "They can handle whatever Naraku throws at them. However, there isn't anyone else here to defeat Zanshin. Just us!"

Miroku was so surprised by Sango's behavior that he could hardly find words to respond. "Are you really that callous? Zanshin even said Kohaku might be involved! Doesn't that mean-"

"Enough!" Sango shouted in rage. Her patience with Miroku was coming to an end. "I said this hunt was only going to end when Zanshin no longer walks the earth and I meant it! We're closer to hunting him down then ever and we can't turn back now. Nothing is going to stop us!"

"Sango! Listen to yourself! Do you have any idea who you sound like?"

Finally Miroku's words struck home. For a moment, Sango paused to consider his point as it sunk in. Finally she re-composed herself and continued. "Miroku...let me make this clear. I'm going after Zanshin. Now if you don't want to come with me, you don't have too, but otherwise you've got one very long walk home."


	10. Resolution

Miroku could only stare blankly at Sango as he tried to come up with a response. This whole trip was supposed to bring them closer together, and up to this point it seemed to be doing just that. Now seemingly out of nowhere, they were at an impasse and Miroku found himself wonder how on earth it had ever came to this.

Growing impatient, Sango continued. "Well, what's it going to be, Miroku? Are you coming, or was all that talk about commitment nothing but an empty boast?"

That did it. The implication that he had wavered completely set him off. "Will you look at me?" He asked angrily, highlighting his filthy, soaking, mud and blood covered robes. "I just killed two demons single-handedly! And as much as I would have liked it, I didn't have Kirara to help me out along the way. Thank heavens she came back in time to aid you, or who knows what would have happened."

"Are you saying I couldn't have handled them on my own?" Asked Sango in an equally angry tone. Miroku questioning her skill was as offensive to her as her questioning of his dedication. "I was doing just fine before she showed up..."

While all this was going on, Kirara watched the two of them with a very troubled expression. Miroku couldn't tell which one of them she agreed with, but it was clear she hated to see them in dispute, particularly at such a critical time.

"That's not the point!" Miroku interrupted. "Your conflict with Zanshin is overriding your better judgement and causing you to make some very reckless decisions. Keep this up and the next time we might not be so lucky and as to get through them mostly unscathed."

"I'm just doing what's necessary to complete the hunt! Didn't I tell you what this was going to involve? As I recall, you accepted this condition without any hesitation." Then Sango stepped forward and mimicked Miroku's voice as best she could: _"_**Whatever mountain you have to climb, whatever army you have to fight, whatever dragon you have to slay, I am with you**_.' _Isn't that what you said? If you really meant that, then you should be willing to take whatever risks are needed to see this through to the end._"_

Miroku sighed and tried to calm his nerves. When he spoke again, he sounded far more restrained. "Of course I'm willing to do what is needed. But the safety of our friends always comes first. When we set out on this journey, we left them behind only because they didn't face any immediate threat. Now we have good reason to believe they do. Are you willing to risk losing them all over your personal vendetta against Zanshin? I don't believe you are. That's not the Sango I know."

Miroku's calm and relaxed demeanor seemed to rub off on Sango, as she responded in kind. "Look, I'm not going to deny how much I want to get Zanshin and finish what I started all those years ago. But this isn't some misguided personal crusade. There are larger issues here; things you aren't considering."

"Such as?"

"Remember what Zanshin said? He said he now has the resources to create an army strong enough to overrun the entire town! Diachi and his guards won't be able to stop them. He'll overrun their defenses and use the entire populance to make his army even stronger. We're the only ones who can stop him here and now, and if we fail at this, we might never get another chance. Zanshin could become as great a threat to land as Naraku! We can't let that happen."

Miroku paused for a moment to consider what Sango was saying. While he wasn't entirely convinced yet, he had to admit she was making a very strong case.

Seeing he was still unsure of what to go with, Sango continued. "I understand you want to help our friends, but like it or not, this is our duty now. If we leave, Tazumi will probably be nothing but smoldering ruins by the time we come back. You want that on your conscience? That's not the Miroku I know."

"And what if the worst is true? What if Zanshin really does assault Kaede's village while Inuyasha still hasn't recovered from his battle wounds?" Asked Miroku. The thought of Naraku obliterating the village and killing his companions while they were away was hard to get out of his mind.

Sango paused to consider his point, then she smiled at him as a thought occurred to her "Miroku, do you remember what you first told me when we had our reunion on the way to Tazumi? You said I should have more faith in our friends, and in my own abilities. Well now I do. The village will still be under the protection of Kaede and Kouga's wolf demon tribe, along with Shippo and Kagome. I believe they are ready to handle a battle on their own. We saw it first-hand in the woodlands. We were able to persevere even after Inuyasha was downed, because every one of us did what was needed. And it's not hard to see why."

"What do you mean, Sango?"

"It's because we were fighting to protect what we couldn't bear to lose. We both know first-hand that gets us past even the most difficult of challenges. That's what's going to get them through whatever Naraku throws at them, just as it's going to get enable us to succeed as well."

With that, Sango mounted Kirara as Miroku took in her statement. There simply was no denying the truth in her words and convictions. Miroku thought back to everything he had been through since he had been traveling with Inuyasha and the others. In all of the hardest trials and battles he had been through, the desire to protect his Sango had enabled both of them to cheat death time and time again. Sango had already proven she had the same feelings in regard to him on this adventure, while the others had proven themselves worthy in battle and motivated by the same burning desire.

Miroku smilled for the first time since their dispute began. "Well...then I guess we'd better get going. It wouldn't be polite to keep Zanshin waiting, now would it?"

"So, I take it that means you're onboard with my plan?" Sango asked happily as she helped him get join her on Kirara's back.

"Absolutely," said Miroku as he settled into his favorite position behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. All the doubt he had about her intention from before seemed to be gone "After all, the others are going have one hell of a tale to tell about their great victory against Naraku's forces. It wouldn't be right not to have a comparable tale of our own."

"Then we'll make it together," Sango responded confidently. Just like that, it seemed their dispute was over, and both of them were ready to face whatever lay ahead. "Now Kirara. Take us to where you followed Zanshin. Let's write our own ending to this tale. An ending we can be proud of."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Kirara took them to their destination; a large encampment in a clear section of the woodlands, covered in old tents and huts and surrounded by tree stumps. Before risking getting in close, Sango decided to have Kirara land on the top of a large hill overlooking the encampment for a better look from a distance.<p>

"Well what do you make of it?" Asked Sango as Miroku observed the area with a futuristic vision enhancement device Kagome had provided him before he set out on the trip, known as "Binoculars".

"It looks like a derelict lumber camp," Miroku said while continuing to scan for possible threats. "Probably used to gain resources for the village when it was still populated. I don't see any guards or demons, and it looks like the place has been abandoned for quite a long time."

This was not a satisfactory answer. "Come on Miroku, Kirara took us here for a reason. Keep looking. Zanshin's got to be down there."

Miroku sighed and tried to accommodate her impatience. "I know, just give me a bit more-wait! There! That's it! A large building in the middle of the encampment. Looks like an old lumber mill, but it's huge! At least three stories. If Zanshin's using this place as his lair, that's where he'd be."

Sango was almost overwhelmed with excitement. "Great job Miroku! Kirara, is that where you saw him go?"

Kirara looked back at her mistress and gave an acknowledging mew.

"Perfect, that's gotta to be his laboratory! This is our chance to put an end to this threat before it gets out of control."

"I think you might be jumping to conclusions," said Miroku as he put the binoculars away. "We don't actually know he's down there. It's been almost an hour since Kirara saw Zanshin last. He could be anywhere."

"Not a chance," Sango replied as she started checking over her gear in preparation for the coming battle. "Zanshin wouldn't leave his lab. Not when he knows we're hot on his trail. It's the source of his ability to create demons. Losing it would be a setback he can't afford, especially if he wants to be on par with Naraku when the two of them have their inevitable conflict. He'll be in there, ready to defend with everything he has as long as he's able too. We just need to be ready to give him our best effort in return."

Sango finished checking her equipment and turned to face Miroku. "So how about it, Miroku? Ready for the fight of your life?"

Miroku thought for a moment about the trials that lay ahead. Then suddenly and without warning he wrapped his arm around Sango and pulled her close to him. "Absolutely! You said it yourself Sango. This is our chance to rid the world of this dark menace and I promise I won't let you down."

Sango was surprised by his sudden action and bold claims, finding them quite charming and romantic. She started to settle happily into his embrace, but then became aware that something was amiss. "Uh Miroku..?"

"We can do this Sango!" Miroku continued, now entangling Sango with his other arm and pulling her in even tighter. "You, Kirara, and me. We'll drive back whatever atrocities Zanshin has waiting for us in there and go home to tell the others of our glory."

Again Sango tried to interject. "Miroku I'm glad for your enthusiasm, but could you-?"

"Now is the time." Miroku continued to ramble, totally oblivious to Sango's response. "After all the hardships we've had to endure so far, we can finally-

"MIROOKUUUUUU!"

Sango finally got his attention by shouting his name at the top of her lungs. He immediately stopped talking.

"Um, yes Sango?"

"Remove your hands before I rip them off and beat you to death with them."

"Oh, right." Miroku finally took his hands off Sango's bottom, from where they had drifted down too while he was he was making his big speech and had taken firm hold.

"Really, Miroku, even now? At a time like this?" Sango asked while rolling her eyes.

"Well we're both about to tangle with death yet again. What better time is there to enjoy life's greatest pleasures?" Even Miroku knew full well this was an insufficient explanation. Standing firm, he awaited whatever punishment Sango was about to unleash upon him, but his surprise, none came. Instead, Sango burst out laughing.

For a moment, both Kirara and Miroku could only stare at Sango while she laughed uncontrolably. Finally she regained herself and responded. "You know Miroku, that's a pretty good point. I guess I'll have to let it slide this time. Now let's go. The end of this hunt is in sight."

With that, Sango gathered her equipment and hopped aboard Kirara, while Miroku climbed on behind here, still amazed he had got through his most recent indiscretion unharmed. _"Well this is adventure is starting to look up already. If this is an omen for what lays in store, the Zanshin doesn't stand a chance!"_

* * *

><p>Sango had Kirara make several overhead passes over the old lumber camp to make sure it was safe to land, and much to her surprise it appeared that it was. Just like the village, the place appeared completely deserted. Not even Zanshin's dragon mount seemed to be present.<p>

Finally Sango took a gamble and directed Kirara to land in the center of the camp, fully expecting legions of demons to come bursting out of the ground or out of the surrounding woodlands. But still, there was nothing. The three of them set down and made there way to massive mill building completely unopposed. _"This is just too easy!" _Sango thought to herself as she and Miroku stood before the building. "_Is this another one of Zanshin's tricks? Or does he want to fight us on his own?"_

"Well Sango, here we are," said Miroku as he looked over the towering structure. Even without Inuyasha's demon-enhanced senses, he could smell the strange odors and brews of dark magic emanating from the building. This was Zanshin's lair, no doubt about. "So, how do you want us to proceed? What's your battle plan?"

Sango thought for a moment. "Zanshin will do everything he can to defend this place, but he'll flee if the fight turns against him. We need to cover as much of the area as possible to ensure he can't escape again. There are three floors on this building and three of us. So, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I certainly am," Miroku replied sounding very concerned. "But I'm also thinking of a way to talk you out of it."

Sango sighed. Once again they were at odds, though she took comfort in the fact that his opposition was clearly motivated by concern for her well-being. "I don't suppose you have any better ideas."

"Couldn't we just burn this unholy place to the ground? Kirara's fire claws should get the job done. Then we can force Zanshin to come out to us."

Kirara gave an agreeing meow to show she was up to the task, but Sango intervened. "I would like nothing better. But there could still be living people in there. Remember Zanshin uses his human victims as resources. I know it's unlikely any are still alive. I never found any living victims the last time I was in his lab in our first encounter. But still, we can't take the chance. It was a good plan, Miroku, but I'm afraid we'll just have to do this the hard way. Don't worry, we'll still be in the same area, with nothing but floors and ceilings to divide us. Whoever clears out their floor first can come to aid the others. It will work out, just like it did the last time. You just have to trust us on our own, just as I have faith in you"

Miroku still bitterly hated the notion of separating from Sango again, but found he had nothing to make a case against it with. At least, nothing he could come up with an oncoming battle seconds away. "Very well, if this really is what you feel is best, then I trust you. Now let us begin. I promise I'll fight my way through whatever Zanshin has waiting for us and come to assist you as fast as I can."

Sango smiled. "I know you will. I know both of you will fight this out with everything you have, and there's no one I'd rather have with me at such a critical time. Now let's get to work. It's time for Zanshin to meet his fate."

With that, the trio split apart and took their postions on the building's external staircase. Kirara was assigned to the first floor, while Miroku took the second and Sango headed up to the third. With one last look at each other to acknowledge they were ready, the three of them opened their respective doors simultaneously and entered the ancient mill, preparing to do battle with whatever horrors awaited them inside Zansin's lab.


	11. The Dark Laboratory

Sango slowly advanced through the third floor with her sword drawn, rapidly analyzing her surroundings and looking for anything out of place. So far it seemed like this really was nothing but an ancient lumber mill. Stacks of wood in all shapes and sizes, rusty saw blades, and crumbling wood carving tables filled the area as far as the eye could see. So far there was no evidence this floor was used as a lab for any of Zanshin's experiments.

_"Doesn't look like he has anything useful up here. No expensive equipment, no demonic creations, no unholy potion sets." _Then something occurred her. _"In other words, the perfect place to have a fight without worrying about anything that needs to be defended!"_

Suddenly a smile came across her lips. "Zanshin, you old rat!" Sango shouted, seemingly to thin air and the piles of lumber. "I know you're up here. Now come on out and meet your death with whatever shred of dignity remains in your pitiful excuse for a soul!"

For a moment, Sango was greeted with silence. Then she heard it. The sound of approaching footsteps from behind a stack of wood blocks several yards away. Within seconds, Zanshin stepped out from behind them. Despite the massive amount of time he had to prepare for her arrival, she saw he was still wearing the simple clothing he had on when they first met in the abandoned village, and he still had no armor or any visible weapons at all.

"Well, it appears we both know each other all too well, doesn't it?" He asked mockingly. "I knew you wouldn't take the chance of burning this place down without knowing who was inside. And I knew you would split your group up and take the top floor on your own. You always were meticulous, Sango. But you're instance on taking the biggest chances yourself and your unwillingness to risk innocent lives will be your undoing. There are no survivors for you to save here. Just me and the special surprises I prepared for your friends on the lower floors. The three of you are nothing but a bothersome hindrance to my work, so I've decided to make a stand here and wipe you out with one fell swoop."

Sango remained unphased. "You mean like your plant monster was supposed to do in the woodlands? Or Natsumi's trap at her Inn? Or your servants in the abandoned village? The outcome here will be no different. Kirara and Miroku can handle whatever you have waiting for them below us. And I'm more then capable of handling you"

"I don't know where such unfounded confidence comes from," Zanshin responded with a hint of humor. "After all, we both remember what happened the last time you led a team into my lair." With that he cracked his knuckles and started slowly advancing toward her. "Well history is about to repeat itself, Sango, with one slight alteration. This time you won't avoid the fate of your fallen warriors. It all ends here."

"Indeed it does!"

With that, Sango charged at Zanshin with vigor that caught him by surprise, unleashing a fury of sword strikes. Though caught off guard by her sudden attack, Zanshin's honed combat instincts immediately kicked in, enabling him to swiftly dodge her blows one by one. Realizing she wasn't making any progress, Sango suddenly changed her methods, catching Zanshin across the face with a powerful jumping spin kick. Her armored boot slammed into his head with enough impact to knock him back against a wall. Then she immediately progressed with a one-handed inward sword swing, hoping her initial contact and his lack of room to back away would prevent him from dodging her blade again.

Evasion, however, was not on Zanshin's mind. Instead, he reached out almost effortlessly and grabbed her wrist with his left hand before the sword could make contact with his body.

"Not good enough, Sango". He calmly told her as he held her wrist down for a second. Then he drove his right fist directly into her face.

If Sango had ever taken a more brutal punch in her lifetime, she was unable to remember it. The blow nearly picked her up off the ground. Her sword went flying out of her hand as she stumbled backwards for several steps before finally collapsing onto her back, where she lay motionless with her eyes closed.

Zanshin laughed as he walked up to her prone body sprawled out on the ground. "After all this effort, and everything you've been through. It all ends with a single blow. How pitiful. But do not worry. I'll give you the ease of a quick painless death, though it's much more then what you deserve."

With that, Zanshin raised his right foot off the ground and brought it down with full force, intent on instantly crushing Sango's neck. But at the last second, Sango's eyes snapped open and she rolled out of the way with a backwards somersault, instantly snapping up on her feet as Zanshin's foot connected with the ground, leaving several visible cracks as evidence of her narrow avoidance of death. As Zanshin looked up at his opponent in surprise, Sango took advantage of her initiative by pulling the Hiraikotsu off her back and drilling him in the head with it in a single motion. The motion was so fast that it didn't connect with maximum force, but it was still hard enough to knock him off his feet, sending Zanshin rolling across the ground for a bit before he sprang back up, showing no sign of pain or fatigue at all.

For a few seconds, the two warriors just stared at each other, Sango with her Hiraikotsu at the ready and Zanshin with his fists raised. Suddenly, Zanshin felt something running down the side of his face. Taking a hand up to feel what it was, he felt a stream of blood running down his face from a small cut just above his left cheek.

After a brief glance at the blood on his hand, Zanshin smilled and turned back to Sango. She too was marked by their initial encounter, sporting a nasty bruise above her left eye, but looked as determined and vigilant as ever.

"Well done Sango," said Zanshin approvingly, "Looks like you really aren't a little girl anymore."

* * *

><p>For the first time ever, Miroku felt glad Inuyasha was not present as he headed into conflict. The ghastly combination of odors and putrid aromas would be too much for him to handle, causing his senses to overload.<p>

As soon as he stepped into the second floor of the old lumber mill, it was clear he had found what Sango was looking for. This was Zanshin's laboratory, no question about it. But there was no satisfaction in making such an important find. On the contrary, there was only shock and horror, as Miroku gazed upon the most nightmarish thing he had ever witnessed in his years of traveling, both with Inuyasha's crew and on his own. Charred and mutilated bodies lay everywhere on makeshift lab tables, while stacks of potions and cauldrons filled with unknown brew filled the area. Miroku quickly realized he would once again have to make due without the use of his wind tunnel. Taking the risk of sucking in any of the unknown substances was simply out of the question, and he was certainly not going to risk turning himself into one of Zanshin's servants by mistake.

Mentally making a silent prayer for Buddha's protection in this vile, unholy place, Miroku forced himself to look over the whole area and assess the situation. Sure enough, it looked like Zanshin was creating a demonic army. He didn't bother counting exactly how many bodies were present, but it was well over several dozen. This many demonic-manufactured killing machines would easily be able to overrun the town's defenses, giving Zanshin all the resources he needed to expand his army indefinitely. That is, unless Miroku and Sango stopped him here and now.

_"Good call, Sango."_ Miroku thought to himself. _"You made the right choice"._

The good news, if any could be found in such a horrible place, was that none of the demonic creations showed any signs of life. It appeared they had not yet been "activated" or revived through whatever dark ritual Zanshin used to bring his servants into the world, and this was a golden opportunity to destroy them all before this ever occured. All he had to do was go to the third floor and aid Sango in whatever she was dealing with. Then they could leave this vile structure and destroy it...

"Welcome Monk. Zanshin told me you would be coming."

Miroku's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by by a voice coming from a dark corner of the room. Turning to identify it's source, he saw it came from a ragged looking demon wrapped in a dark cloak. At a mere 5 feet tall and lacking the luster and killing frenzy of the threats he had so recently faced, it didn't seem like much of a threat. But Miroku kept his guard up all the same.

"Who are you? What role have you in this unholy place?"

"I am Malth, the keeper of this magnificent laboratory." The demon calmly replied. "I shall brook no insolence from such a foul intruder as yourself! This is my relm, Monk! And you shall not corrupt it with your foul precense."

Miroku did his best to keep his composure. "This entire building is nothing but corruption! Now lead me to your master if you wish to avoid his fate!"

Malth just laughed. "Zanshin has no time for miserable whelps such as you. He is no concern of yours, because you will not get past me." With that, Malth pulled a hand from his filthy robe and hurled a massive wave of dark magic at Miroku, who barely had time to dive out of the way as the powerful blast slammed into a nearby lab table, instantly reducing it to ashes. As he rose to his feet, Miroku saw several black marks on his robe, apparently residue from the dark spell that had gotten onto him. To his horror, the dark marks suddenly started to eat through his robe and burn into his skin.

Miroku let out a shout of pain as he ripped off the infected parts of his robe and quickly purged the dark energy from his body with his own purifying spell. But the residue still left several charred burn marks on his body.

"Did you like that, Monk?" Malth taunted as Miroku gritted his teath and fought through the pain. "That was just a taste of my corrosive powers. The next time you won't be so lucky." Malth raised his hands and threw another wave of dark energy at Miroku, but this time he countered with a barrage of sutras. The sutras collided with the dark spell in mid air, and the resulting conflict of both magics effectively nullified each other.

Before the residue cleared, Miroku ran to his attacker. Though he could feel the remnants of the dark energy burning at his skin, Miroku managed to ignore it, knowing that this might be his only chance to close the gap. Though Malth had proven himself devastating at long range, Miroku was sure he could handle him with conventional weapons, and now was the time to bring his into play. As soon as he got close enough, Miroku lept into the air and swung his staff down with full force, intent on crushing Malth's skull.

However, at the last second, Malth pulled a sword he had kept concealed under his large dark robe and deflected Miroku's attack. Their weapons collided with massive impact. But Miroku was undetered by Malth's hidden weapon. As soon as he landed, he kept up his attack, raining down blow after blow. Malth skillfully blocked them one by one, but he was so busy defending himself that he couldn't get in any attack of his own. Finally, Miroku scored a good hit, slashing Malth across the chest with the bladed end of his staff. Malth roared in pain as his blood sprayed across Miroku's body and he fell to the ground, dropping his sword in the process.

"It's over demon!" Miroku shouted triumphantly as he stood over Malth and started to raise his weapon for a killing strike. "The afterlife is all that awaits you."

To his surprise, Malth looked up from the ground and smiled. "It will have to keep waiting a while longer. You arn't in such a favorable position as it might seem."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asked Miroku. "There arn't demon tricks that can save you now-" but suddenly he was cut off by a horrible sensation of pain. He looked down in shock to see Malth's blood burning through his robes and into his body, and by the time he realized that Malth's foul blood had the same corrosive effect as his magic, it was too late. Miroku dropped his staff and started screaming in pain, desperately ripping off the bloody pits of his robe and purifying the parts of body where Malth's had blood gotten through

Miroku was able to get the corrosive blood off him before suffering serious injuries, but the delay gave Malth the opportunity he needed to recover. While Miroku was held up, Malth got back on his feet and snatched up his sword. Miroku barely had time to roll out of the way before the bladed weapon came crashing down on the spot where he had just been.

"Now you die!" Malth shouted at Miroku while chasing after him, swinging his sword furiously and hurling more bolts of corrosive magic whenever he could get a clear shot. Finding himself completely outmatched with no weapon and a limited supply of sutras, Miroku desperately ran and ducked around the lab tables and potion stacks, hoping Malth would restrict his magic use in order to avoid destroying his own valuable equipment.

As Miroku desperately bobbed and weaved through area with corrosive magic flying all around him, a single thought suddenly entered his mind.

_"I really hope Sango is doing better then this."_

* * *

><p>Zanshin roared with laughter as he ducked under a Hiraikotsu swing and slammed his left fist into Sango's midsection, causing her to double over in pain. "Now stay down!" A devastating right hook caught her in the side of the head, and she once again tumbled to the sawdust-covered floor<p>

But Sango continued to show her resilience. As Zanshin closed in to finish her off, she sprang back into action, getting up and hammering the Hiraikotsu into Zanshin's knee. Amazingly, he remained standing, but the strike caused him to buckle enough for Sango to follow it up, which she did by hitting him again, this time with a downward blow that brought the full might of the giant boomerang onto Zanshin's shoulder blade.

The mighty demon groaned in pain and went down. Realizing she had to keep up the pressure, Sango kept swinging in an attempt to crush his bones as he lay on the ground. But Zanshin skillfully rolled out of the way as blow after blow sailed past him, doing nothing except tear up the floorboards. Finally Sango landed a solid hit into his side as Zanshin rose to his knees, but by then it was too late. Her flury of Hiraikotsu swings had drained so much of her stamina that the impact didn't have anywhere nearly enough power. Zanshin felt only a minor jolt of pain as the bone weapon struck his side, not nearly enough to cripple him.

Now Zanshin regained the initiative. Using his left arm to pin the Hiraikotsu against his body, he once again nailed her face with a right hand blow. This time it wasn't enough to knock her down, but it had the intended effect of causing Sango to let go of the Hiraikotsu and stumble backwards.

Now weaponless, Sango looked up just in time to see Zanshin drop the Hiraikotsu and grab the top of her head with both hands.

"Let's see you get out of this."

With this simple challenge, Zanshin drove his knee into her face as hard as he could, while forcing her head down into it to enhance the impact. The resulting blow was the hardest Sango felt so far. In under a second , she was knocked off her feet and hit the floor with a dull thud.

Again, Zanshin kept laughing. "Is that it, Sango?" He taunted his prone opponent as she desperately tried to recover. Blotches of various colors danced around her vision and she had to fight hard against her basic instincts to avoid passing out. _"I won't let it end this way." _She told herself as she rolled onto her chest and then rose to one knee. _"Not like this"._ As Sango slowly pulled herself up, she noticed drops of blood dripping off her head and onto the floor. But she didn't even bother to check where it was coming from. _"They'll be time for that when this is finished."_

Zanshin smiled as he watched Sango clumsily rise to her feet. "That's it, keep it coming! Your pain is good to me!" He shouted in a taunting manner as he moved in and tried to wrap his hands around her throat.

"Ah go to hell!"

With a shout of defiance, Sango fought back with a surprising burst of adrenaline. Snapping out her hidden arm blade, she slashed him across the right arm as soon as he got close, sending an stream of his blood spraying across her body and giving her the opportunity she'd be waiting for. With lighting speed, Sango punched him hard with two right hand blows, one to the chest and one to his head, before drilling him in the face with a powerful side-angle kick that sent Zanshin plunging into a large pile of carved lumber blocks.

The impact was so massive it seemed to shake the entire building. Sango watched in delight as the entire pile of lumber boards came crashing down on Zanshin, virtually burying his body, though his head and a few limbs were still visible, something Sango fully desired to exploit. She immediately rushed in, intending on driving her blade into his skull.

But it was, perhaps, a little too soon. Just as Sango started to swing the weapon down into him, Zanshin quickly pulled his right hand free from under the remains of the lumper pile and caught Sango's arm with the blade less then an inch away from his head. Then he grabbed a piece of cedar and his left hand and smashed it into the exposed arm blade hard with an inward swing. The impact effectively robbed Sango of her final weapon, breaking the blade off her wrist and sending it flying across the room. Then he slammed the cedar board into Sango's ribs, and she crumpled to the floor.

With one final effort, Zanshin powered his way out from underneath the lumber pile, storming free as blocks of wood flew through the area in all directions. In response, Sango did the only thing she could think of. She slowly rose to her feet and readied herself to continue, any way she could."

Zanshin had no intention of allowing this. Before Sango even finished getting up, Zanshin grabbed her by the neck and picked her up off the ground. Sango could only scream in horror and he lifted her small frame from the floor and slammed it down on a nearby wood carving table. Then he used his superior demon strength to pin her down on the table, while slowly choking her to death.

"You had quite a good run, Sango." Zanshin told her as he slowly increased the pressure of his grip around her throat. "But all good things come to an end. And don't think for a moment that it's going to be quick. You lost that right quite some time ago."

Sango wildly thrashed her limbs, doing anything she could to resist. But nothing worked. She had no weapons left, and his massive superiority in physical prowess made unarmed resistance seem futile. Sango's vision began to darken as Zanshin increased the pressure on her throat, and for the first time since their fight began, she began to wonder herself if this really was the end...

* * *

><p>"Where are you Monk?" Malth shouted as he stormed through the lab area brandishing his sword. Faced with a golden opportunity to eliminate the bothersome threat and pleasing his master, the Monk had actually resorted to fleeing like a whipped dog, and Malth couldn't be more enraged by it. "I'll rip this whole place apart to find you if I have too!"<p>

Of course, Malth himself knew this was not true. Master Zanshin would never forgive him for damaging his laboratory, even to eliminate such a serious threat. But he was so outraged at this point that he couldn't think of anything else to say. "Show yourself, you sniveling coward!"

Suddenly Malth's attention was caught by a voice coming from behind a nearby bookcase filled with ancient alchemy tomes. "Very well."

Malth had no time to react as Miroku shoved the massive bookcase into him. In a matter of seconds, it came crashing on top of him, pinning him to the ground, not only under it's crushing weight, but the additional weight of Miroku, dove on top of the case and started pounding away with his fists.

"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Miroku shouted as he rained down blow after blow. "I would never fall to such a foul creature of the shadows. Now tell me where Zanshin is at once!"

With the last of his strength, Malth made a desparate attempt at a counterattack by wrenching his right arm free and swinging a small dagger at Miroku's head. But Miroku was ready and grabbed his arm, using Malth's own momentum to plunge the blade into the demon's throat instead. Malth's eyes shot open wide in shock before closing as his body went limp and he slipped away with a low gurgling noise.

"Rest in peace, you vile abomination." Miroku said silently. Then he got up and went to get his staff. There wasn't a moment to lose. Now that his oppenent was defeated, he had to aid his companions on the other floors. The only question was, which one should he go to first?

But as soon as picked up his dropped staff, Miroku heard a weak, but boastful voice coming from Malth. "You...Y-you think you've won. But the your real n-nightmare is just begining. You're about to b-become a p-p-permenant part of this lab."

Considering the circumstances, Miroku hardly found this statement to be threatening. "You are not in a position to be of any concern. Go ahead and waste your last words with empty threats if it eases your passing. Your fate is already sealed."

Once again, Miroku turned to leave, but Malth continued. "And so is yours! With my last breath, I call upon the dark spirits. Hear me and give my masterpieces life! Awaken and slay the intruder!"

Miroku watched in confused silence as Malth's body began to glow, giving off a luminescence bright to enough to light up the entire room. Then he suddenly vanished in a brilliant flash, leaving Miroku temporarily blinded for a few seconds, but otherwise completely unharmed."

_"What the hell was that?" _Miroku thought to himself as he took a moment to gather his bearings. Malth's spell seemed to have no effect on anything. The entire area still seemed deserted and lifeless. With no apparent new threats to deal with, Miroku simply shrugged his shoulders and headed out, the current status of his beloved Tiajiya and demon cat weighing heavily on his mind.

And that's when he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye, he detected motion from across the room. Turning to locate the source, he was shocked to see one of the bodies on the lab table sit up, sluggishly grab a weapon, and begin shuffling towards him.

"Oh this can't be..."

But sure enough, one by one the other demons were rising from their lab tables and resting places, grabbing whatever weapon happened to be near them (if there were any), and slowly lumbering to Miroku's location. Some were missing limbs, and even a few were headless, but it didn't matter. They seemed not to be driven by any intelligence or sentient thought, only some primitive urge to follow Miroku's lifeforce...and extinguish it. In a matter of seconds, Miroku found himself surrounded and dozens and dozens of the mindless drones.

For a man like Miroku, who already had to deal with a giant plant youkai, gun-toting humans, elite demon soldiers, and a dark wizard, this newest unexpected challenge seemed almost like a cruel joke, as if the gods themselves were testing him. With a combination of resignation and rage, Miroku prepared to face his new opponents with his staff in one hand and sutras in the other, knowing every second he was delayed here was more time keeping him from helping Sango deal with whatever threat she was doubtlessly facing on the floor above.

"You think you can stop me?" He shouted at them, despite being fairly sure they were unable to comprehend anything he said. "Nothing will! I'll cut through all of you if that's what it takes! Now come on!"


	12. A Blaze of Glory

Do you feel it Sango? The feeling of death creeping in?" Zanshin asked as he slowly strangled her to death on the old wooden table. "Well don't go dying too fast on me. I've waited years for this moment and I intend to relish every second!"

From her position on the table, Sango desperately gurgled and flailed her limbs, looking for any means possible to save her life. Zanshin appeared to have all the control and leverage he needed to keep this going to his intended conclusion, but Sango was determined to find some way to avoid her fate. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it. An old rusty hammer lying on the table. It was just a few feet away from her right arm, but she knew under her current condition, she would need the perfect opportunity get ahold of it.

It came a few seconds later when Zanshin leaned in closer. Sango's struggling had gotten weaker as his death grip around her throat had taken it's toll and now he appeared to believe she was no longer capable of resistance. As he leaned in, perhaps hoping to catch a good look at the expression on her face as she took her last breath, Sango suddenly sprang to life, pulling her right leg back and then thrusting it forward into his face. With all the leverage he had over her, her kick wasn't strong enough to have much effect, but it was enough to get him to let go of her neck and stumble back a few steps. Then Sango made her move, grabbing the nearby hammer and hurling it into Zanshin's face as hard as she could.

The impact was devastating. Had Zanshin been human, it probably would have killed him on the spot. The hammer blow practically dented his skull, causing him to stop dead in his tracks and drop like a stone.

As Zanshin hit the floor, Sango quickly sat up on the table and started gratefully sucking in air. Although her precise hammer throw had bought her some precious time, she knew it wouldn't be enough. _"I've got to get to my weapons." _Sango thought to herself._"Hopefully that hit will keep him down at least long enough to find them."_

But it was already too late. Sango's eyes grew wide with shock as she saw Zanshin rise to his feet, standing up mere seconds after receiving the hardest hit of the fight so far. He was now sporting a massive visible headwound, but still looked relatively unhindered. Not only that, he was actually smiling! _"My god! What on earth do I have to-"_

"Nice job Sango. You got me good that time!" Zanshin told her. Then he grabbed ahold of Sango, lifted her off the table, and threw her all the way across the room.

Sango let out a horrified scream as she sailed through the air, traveling at least 20 feet before slamming into a wall and falling back on solid ground. From there she desperately tried to recover, rolling on the ground and moaning as Zanshin watched in amusement. "So, strangulation wasn't enough for you, was it?" Zanshin asked as he picked up a wooden board that had been knocked over earlier in the fight. "I guess you'd prefer I beat the life out of you! Well I'll be happy to oblige, Sango. I'm going to break every bone in your fucking body, and I'll be sure to save your neck for last!"

Zanshin emphasized his point by striking the wooden board against the ground as he walked over to Sango. His walk was slow and methodical, as if he was in total control and still didn't see Sango as a serious threat.

As Sango slowly rose to her feet, she noticed something: Her sword. The familiar blade was lying in the shadows a mere 10 yards away at most, but in her miserable condition, it might as well have been on the moon. _"There's no way I can get to it before he reaches me." _Sango realized. _"Before I try to retrieve it, I'll need to take him down unarmed."_

No one was more aware then Sango of how unlikely this seemed. Zanshin had already beaten her senseless while she still had her weapons. But she knew this was her only chance. _"He thinks I'm no match for him under under these conditions. Well I'd better do my best to convince him that's true!"_

Sango started to stagger and sway as she stood up, doing her best to give the impression that she barely had the ability to move, let alone fight. In reality, this was probably going to be the case if this fight went on much longer. Her vision was already blurring and her whole body felt numb. But at this moment, she knew she still had the ability to keep going. All she had to do was convince Zanshin otherwise.

Perhaps due to how close it was to being accurate, Sango's ruse appeared to work. Zanshin continued to walk over to her slow and deliberate, not bothering to keep his guard up. When he finally reached her, he seemed assured that his victory was at hand.

"This is it, Sango. It's time you learned the real meaning of pain," said Zanshin boastfully. The he raised the wooden board up and swung it directly at her face.

But it never came close. As soon as he started, Sango quickly ducked under the swing while simultaneously kicking Zanshing's feet out from under him with a spinning leg sweep. Zanshin quickly snapped back up, only to receive a massive blow to the head from the wooden board, which was now in Sango's hands. Sango smashed it into his skull twice more before slamming it down on his shoulder bone, breaking the piece of wood in half and knocking Zanshin down on his knees.

Now Sango was in control. "You want to talk about pain? I'll show you some fucking pain!" She shouted as she decked him in the face with a downward left-hand punch and followed with a right hook.

"TAKE THIS FREAK!"

With a final shout of rage, Sango drilled Zanshin with a spinning back kick, this one the hardest she had unleashed so far, once again planting her armored boot into the center of Zanshin's face. The blow instantly knocked Zanshin flat on his back, and this time he didn't get back up.

_"I downed him! I really downed him!"_ Sango though as she stood over his prone body for a few seconds, panting with fatigue. Zanshin still showed signs of life, but for the moment, he seemed completely out of the fight _"Now's my chance. I need to get a weapon before it's too late"_

Sango's sword was still lying a mere dozen or so yards away, but getting to it was still a chore. The pain and weariness of her long battle had robbed her of the ability to walk straight, much less run. The best should could manage was a clumsy rapid shuffle, forcing herself forward with every step in a frantic attempt to regain her weapon before Zanshin recovered.

Suddenly Sango heard movement behind her, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Clearly, Zanshin was back on his feet and pursuing, though from the uneven sound of his steps on the ground, it appeared he was hardly in much better shape then her.

"W-where do y-you think you're going Sango?" He sputtered out as he stumbled after her. "I'm not done with y-you yet." For the first time in the entire fight, Zanshin was showing a clear sign of weakening. But that provided little comfort to Sango, who was still certain he would be more then capable of killing her if he caught up.

_"Just gotta keep_ _going_." Sango told herself, not even bothering to turn around to see how close Zanshin was. Instead, she devoted all her effort into covering the last few yards between her and her only hope of survival. Zanshin was clearly gaining on her, and she could hear his footsteps closing in. _"Almost there. Just a few more steps..."_

Zanshin and Sango reached their destinations almost simultaneously. As Sango's fingers closed around the hilt of her weapon, Zanshin grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around to face him with his right hand, while pulling back his left for a finishing blow. But Sango turned out to be just a little bit quicker. Before he could launch the attack, Sango instinctively thrust her sword at him, aiming directly for his heart. Her aim was off by a bit, but she still plunged the blade through his left shoulder joint just inches above her intended target, causing him to cry out in pain with a shout that boomed through the entire area.

"This is it Zanshin!" Sango shouted in triumph. "I'm going to rip you apart!"

Even in his state of agony, Zanshin was still defiant. "Y-you think this is going s-stop me?" He asked while his hands shot up to the sword handle in an attempt to pull it out.

"Maybe not, but lets see what happeneds when I cleave through heart!"

Sango clamped both hands around the hilt of her blade and pulled down with all her might, doing all she could to cut through the final few inches of his body between her sword and a victory strike.

"NEVER!"

Sango's plans were brought to an abrupt halt as Zanshin took his right hand off the sword hilt and quickly wrapped it around her throat. With superhuman power, his one good arm slowly lifted her off the ground and once again hurled her into the air, this time almost straight up with a vertical throw. Sango barely had to time to regret how easy it was for him to toss her light, nimble body around before her head smacked against the ceiling and she plunged to the floor, smashing through the nearby wooden table on the way down.

Zanshin stared at his handiwork for a second to take everything in. Sango lay sprawled on the ground amid the wrecked table, her arms outstretched and her eyes closed, showing no sign of consciousness. _"Gotcha now bitch!"_Zanshin thought to himself. _"No mere human could recover from that any time soon."_

However the situation was hardly much better for Zanshin. At that moment, he was overcome by pain and collapsed onto his side, with blood pouring from his shoulder wound and pooling up around him. For the first time since his initial encounter with Sango years ago, Zanshin felt completely drained and had to fight off the urge to pass out himself. His body was wracked with injury and Sango's sword was still impaled through his body just centimeters above his heart. He knew had to carefully remove it before he could take further action, as even the slightest movement could be fatal as long as it was there.

Doing all he could to ignore his pain and fatigue, Zanshin slowly rose to his knees, took hold of the sword hilt, and began carefully pulling it out of his body. This action only increased the bleeding and pain he was going through, and it was hard to resist the temptation to simply rip it out as fast as he could. But he knew it had to be done carefully and calmly, no matter how painful it felt.

_"This is all that remains_." Zasnhin thought as he cautiously pulled the sword out._ Sango is out and this is the last thing between me and her demise! This is my final challenge!__ Just a few more minutes of agony to endure for something I've been waiting for years. It's just a shame Sango won't be able to see it coming..."_

* * *

><p>"Damn you foul demons! Go back to your graves!" Shouted an exhausted Miroku as he slammed his staff into one of them, sending it stumbling off balance into a cauldron full of unidentifiable brew. He had spent the last several minutes fighting off the endless swarm of demon drones and his progress was less then promising. Severed body parts and corpses littered the floor around his feet, but now it had gotten to the point where he barely had enough strength left to lift his weapon, and seemingly nothing he did could slow them down.<p>

His foes seemed to have no intelligence or skill whatsoever, only some primitive built-in urge to kill him, and no amount of beating or mutilation could deter them. Cutting off their arms didn't stop them attacking with their teeth, while cutting off their legs only caused them to come after him by dragging themselves across the floor. Even decapitation didn't stop them, as their bodies still seemed to have the ability to detect his presence without sight.

Two more demons lunged at Miroku with their bare hands, attempting to strangle him to death. Miroku was barely able to duck out of their grasp before planting his last two attack sutras on their bodies, causing them to disintegrate to dust in a violent flash of light. Still surrounded by the mindless demon hoard, Miroku realized his situation was getting dire. They still had him surrounded from every angle, and the only weapon he had left was his staff, a most impractical tool for his current situation. At this point, Miroku would have given anything for the presence of Sango's Hiraikotsu or Inuyasha's Tetsaiga, both of which could have easily cleaved through the entire hoard within seconds. But he no such assets, only a thin metal staff that had was almost too tired to hold.

Smiling slightly, Miroku realized the situation was quite similar to one he had faced recently, thinking back to himself among the hoard of plant demons, fighting to hold them back single handedly after Inuyasha was wounded. But this time there would be no companions to come to his aid. He only had one other card to play, something he had been hoping he wouldn't have to use: His wind tunnel.

Looking up at the rapidly advancing hoard, Miroku quickly realized he had no other options. The Wind Tunnel was his only chance for survival against the demons now, and he simply had to risk sucking up all the foul potions and brews in the laboratory along with them. With the demons rapidly closing in, Miroku thought of Sango as he reached for the seal on his right hand.

_"If I die in the process, at least I can prevent all these demons from getting to her..."_

But he never got the chance to find out. Before he had time to remove the seal from his Wind Tunnel, he was stopped by a most unexpected sound: A loud animal roar that echoed throughout the entire lab. Miroku (and even several of the demons) quickly turned to the source of the noise to discover it came from Kirara. A blazing, full-sized, enraged Kirara standing in front of the staircase leading down the lower level.

Apparently infuriated at the swarming attack on her companion, Kirara wasted no time charging into battle. The effect was immediate and decisive. In a matter of seconds, Kirara began cleaving through the demon hoard like a mobile buzz saw, rapidly tearing the surrounding demons apart with her razor sharp teeth and flaming claws. Gore and body parts flew through the air as Kirara ripped into her assailants, while the flames from her demonic claws burned their bodies to ashes, finally giving them a permanent death from which could not recover.

Battered, mutilated, and spread out around Miroku, the demon swarm had no chance against Kirara's furious onslaught, which was soon joined in by a re-energized Miroku. In under a minute, she and Miroku had reduced the entire hoard to a small handful of stragglers who posed no immediate threat.

"Great job Kirara!" Miroku shouted in joy as he rushed to her side. "You really turned the tide...but I think you got a little carried away."

Surprised at this statement, Kirara surveyed the area to see what he was referring too, which soon became clear. The entire laboratory was engulfed in flames. Fire from the burning demon corpses had quickly spread throughout wooden structure, while additionally being fed by racks and cauldrons of flammable liquids and potions scattered around there area. Kirara turned back to Miroku with an apologetic look on her face and gave a depressed-sounding meow, which in her full sized state, seemed almost comical.

"Don't worry Kirara, I'm still grateful for your assistance," Miroku assured her while rapidly trying to plan their next move. "I was hoping to torch this building anyway, just not with us in it."

Quickly looking around, Miroku saw the path to the stairs leading up to the top floor was still unobstructed by flames. "Kirara, this place is going to burn down in a matter of minutes. I'm going after Sango. You stay here and finish off the remaining demons. Don't let any of them follow me up!"

Kirara gave him a look of disapproval, showing she clearly wanted to go with him after her mistress. "I understand you want to come with me, but you need to finish things here. If Zanshin's on the top floor, I can't be dealing with him while worrying about these monstrosities coming after me from behind. Once you've killed off the last of them, come and join us and we'll all escape together. I'll do everything I can to help Sango, and we'll get through this Kirara, you have my word."

With that, Miroku took off to the staircase as fast as he could, doing his best to overcome the fatigue from his recent battles and the heat from the fire that was rapidly becoming unbearable. Once he reached the stairs, he began his ascent as rapidly as possible, while praying desperately that he wasn't too late to come to Sango's aid.

* * *

><p><em>"Almost there...just a little bit more."<em> Zanshin thought to himself. Through slow and methodical action, he was almost finished extracting the sword from his body. Just a few more seconds and the last obstacle between him and Sango would be removed. He had noticed Sango was starting to show signs of life. She was now softly moaning and making slight movements. But it was no matter. Her eyes were still closed and she still apeared incapable of even the slightest resistance.

Suddenly Zanshin became aware of a new presence in the area. _"Fire! My laboratory burns!". _Sure enough, the entire room was filling up with smoke, while flames from the lower level had already begun to dance around the floor. Clearly the time for slow deliberate action was gone. Forcing himself not to think about the consequences of losing his lab, Zanshin focuses all his efforts on one final pull. With a final shriek of pain, he wrenched the Taijiya sword from his body, pulling it free as a large amount of blood spurted out of the wound with it.

Zanshin had successfully extracted the sword from his body without rupturing his heart, but what now? A quick assessment of the area revealed the fire in his lab was out of control and nothing could be done to contain it. In a moment, it would be nothing but ashes. He pondered leaving as quickly as possible, allowing the flames to finish off Sango for him. Considering the extent of his wounds, that would seem to be the best option, but he almost instantly rejected it.

_"No, I must be sure the cursed slayer won't get away! I have to see her death with my own eyes."_

In a state of misery he had not experienced in years, Zanshin painfully pulled himself to his feet and slowly shuffled over to Sango, clutching her sword in his one good arm. Blood continued to spill from his injured left shoulder, marking a trail on the ground as he headed over to fallen slayer, determined to put an end to their years-long rivalry once and for all.

Meanwhile, amid the wreckage of the table, Sango had managed to regain consciousness, but just barely so. Through her blurred vision, she could hardly make out the figure of Zanshin approaching, but knew full well what would happen once he arrived. Desperately she tried to react, but could manage only the slightest movement of her limbs. It seemed like she really had given this fight all she had. _"A pity then, that it wasn't enough. Well, at least I gave him one hell of a thrashing. Maybe the others can finish the job..."_

Despite his battered condition, Zanshin managed a smile as he closed the final gap between him and Sango. _"This is it!" _He thought as he raised the sword up with both hands for the final blow._ I'm really going to resolve this for good..._

"Sango! Where are you? We need to get out of here now!"_  
><em>

Zanshin turned in surprised response to Miroku's frantic shouts as he charged up the stairs to the top level, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. A moment later, Miroku appeared through the thick smoke surrounding the stairwell and made a split second assessment of the situation, seeing Sango lying prone amid the wrecked wooden table and Zanshin standing a few feet away brandishing her own sword.

"ZANSHIN! YOUR TIME HAS COME!"

The sight of Sango laying battered and beaten at Zanshin's feet caused Miroku to fly into an uncontrollable rage, and he charged at Zanshin with a burst of strength even Miroku didn't realize he had. Zanshin had never seen anything like this from a mere human, and barely had time to raise the sword in his hand to block the monk's initial blow.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Miroku bellowed in rage as he continued to rain down blow after blow with his staff, giving Zanshin no time to counter "I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!"

From her position on the ground, Sango watched the events play out through her blurred vision, amazed at what was occurring. _"Miroku! I was right. I knew I could count on him when our lives are on the line,"_ though she still found herself surprised by the fury of his actions.

Zanshin desperately backpedaled in response, doing all he could to block the incoming staff swings with the sword in his hand. But he could find no way to effectively retort. His battle with Sango had left him too badly wounded to be a match for the exhausted, but still mostly able-bodied Miroku. Eventually he found himself backed up against a wall, with the flames of the fire rapidly closing in around him.

Seeing he now had the leverage he needed for a huge advantage, Miroku kept up his attack. A hard strike from his staff sent the sword flying out of Zanshin's hands, and he followed it up with a massive blow into the demon lord's skull. The impacted sent him crashing through the crumbling wall and out of the structure into thin air, where he let out a horrible scream as he plunged to the earth outside.

* * *

><p>A fall from such a great height, and addition to all the previous injuries he had received, would have killed nearly any man. But Zanshin was no man, and his demon endurance enabled him to persevere, if only through the most basic motor skills.<p>

Weakly pulling himself up, Zanshin looked up at his laboratory building in flames. With the fight over, he now had the time to consider the results. His laboratory was gone, as was his assistant and his demon army. Over a year of resource gathering and hard work was lost. Now had would have to spend countless more months working as Naraku's lackey until a new laboratory was established. _"Of course, that's only if Naraku needs me for that long. At any time, he could decide I'm no longer necessary, and I know full well what that_ _means._"

Zanshin angrily cursed his fate and tried to contain his rage. _"It's all their fault. That damn monk and his slayer whore!"_ That had destroyed his laboratory and done the unthinkable: They had made him flee from mere humans! Him! Zanshin! The greatest demon warrior the nation had ever known!

Still, Zanshin knew this was his only option now. His injuries were simply too much for him to keep going. He had to retreat, regroup, and calmly prepare for his next move, which was all too clear.

"Rasta, my loyal servant!" Zanshin shouted to the surrounding woodlands as he stumbled away from the burning building, doing all he could to put as much distance between him and it as possible. "Come to me!"

Within seconds, Zanshin was joined by his dragon servant, Rasta, the very same dragon he had used to fly to the abandoned village. Knowing that Rasta's fire based attacks could not be used in the lab without risking burning it down (as had ultimately occurred), Zanshin had decided to leave him in the woodlands in the unlikely event he needed a rapid escape, which had also turned out to be the case. As he watched the demonic dragon fly to his location, he took some consolidation that at least his wise advance planning had allowed him to avoid complete catastrophe.

As soon as Rasta was close enough, Zanshin weakly pulled himself into a mounted position, infuriated by how difficult it was to perform such a basic task. Once he was onboard, he had Rasta take off and steered him to his pre-determined location. Taking into account the lessons of his first encounter with Sango's slayer team, Zanshin had set up a reserve lair to serve as a special "safe house" to take refuge in case such an event were to ever occur again. His lifetime of experience with necromancy and magic used to create demons had given him special knowledge and skills for regenerating his own body, and the "safe house" contained all the supplies and herb needed to do the job.

In a matter of hours he would be completely recovered and back at full strength, Zanshin thought as Rasta flew him through the clouds to his destination. And then it would begin: His hunt. "_The hunters will be my pray! I'll kill them no matter how long it takes or where they go. Their unspeakable offenses against me will be repaid tenfold._"

His other long term goals now meant nothing. This was his task, indeed his sole purpose in life, and he would do whatever it took to see it carried out to the end.

* * *

><p>Miroku watched in disappointment from the hole in the wall as Zanshin mounted his dragon servant and flew off into the sky. There was nothing that could be done about it now. The fall from the building had created too much distance for his Wind Tunnel to be effective, and now he had his own problems to deal with, namely that he and Sango were now trapped in a burning building.<p>

_"Farewell Zanshin," _Miroku thought as he rushed over to Sango, who was struggling unsuccessfully to sit up._ "I guess we'll have to settle this another time."_

"Sango! Are you okay? We need to leave now!"

"M-Miroku?" Sango asked weakly. She was still in a daze and could hardly comprehend how things had just played out. "D-Did you get him?"

"Well I gave him one heck of beating," Miroku explained as he set down his staff and knelt down next to Sango to perform a split second examination, checking her over for broken bones or other crippling injuries. "But I'm afraid he's not quite out of the picture yet"

"Dammit! I almost-almost had him," Sango replied in muffled frustration. "Y-you should have seen it. I was so close-"

Finding no major injuries on Sango, Miroku quickly started looking for an escape route, while doing his best to keep her spirits up and prevent her from knowing how grim their situation was.

"I know, I saw how bad he looked when I got up here. You did good, Sango. Real good. We'll get him later. But first we've got to go. I'll get us out of here, I promise."

With that, Miroku lifted Sango off the ground and threw her over his shoulder, while grabbing his staff with his free hand. The flames were rapidly closing in around the wrecked table and they couldn't linger there any longer. However, upon picking her up, he was horrified to discover the stairwell to the lower levels was no longer a viable escape option. It was completely covered in flames and debris, making passage through it impossible

Frantically looking around for new means of escape, he could find only one. The hole in the wall created by Zanshin. Though falling all the way to the ground was certainly not an appealing option, at the moment is seemed like the only alternative to burning to death or suffocating. And with the flames rapidly spreading throughout the room, that was going to be the outcome in a minute at most.

Panting heavily, Miroku hauled Sango over to the ruined wall and prepared to jump out.

"Sorry Sango, but this looks like we'll have to jump. I'll try to absorb as much of the impact as possible..."

But right at that moment, a new option appeared. An option named Kirara, who smashed through floorboards from the lower level and landed right next to the stunned Miroku, ready to fly them away.

"Kirara!" Miroku exclaimed as he quickly draped Sango's limp body over her back. "Great timing as always! Now just let me collect Sango's weapons and we'll be on our way." Though he knew taking the time to retrieve Sango's weapons would waste precious seconds, he had a feeling his long term safety would be better served by taking the risk. Sango would never forgive him if he left her precious Hiraikotsu behind.

Fortunately, a weapon as conspicuous as a giant boomerang was fairly easy to find and it had not yet been surrounded by the ever increasing fire. Miroku quickly retrieved it along with Sango's sword, and even managed to find her broken arm blade on his way back to Kirara. Now with everything on board, he climbed onto Kirara behind Sango. "Alright Kirara, we've got what we need, now let us depart!"

Kirara needed no additional encouragement. At once she took off and headed for the hole in the wall created by Zanshin. Miroku suddenly realized the hole wasn't big enough for combined size of Kirara and her riders, but it would have to do. Ducking his head down and covering Sango's body with his own to provide whatever protection he could, he could only wait as Kirara smashed through the wall and broke free to the outside world. Several small specks of flaming debris rained down on Miroku's tattered robe, causing it to catch fire, but quick action from him managed to stamp it out before it could spread.

They had done it. Against all odds they had made it out of the laboratory, and not a moment too soon. A mere seconds after going airborne, Miroku looked back to see the entire rotten structure collapse into a burning wreck.

"Outstanding Kirara!" Shouted Miroku. "You really came through for us. Now find us a good place to make camp in the woods. Preferably somewhere with a good source of water. I've got to take care of Sango...and I could use a bit of recuperation myself."

As Kirara flew off above the woodlands searching for a suitable area, Sango began to stir. "Mirokkuuu...W-what happened? D-did we make it?"

"We sure did Sango! Everything's going to be fine. Zanshin's lab is gone now. He can't make anymore demons. We saved Tazumi all on our own."

"B-but Zanshinnnn...W-we have to go after Zanshin," Sango responded weakly. Despite being barely conscious, she seemed as determined to go after Zanshin as she was when the hunt began.

"We'll get him later. Now we need a break," replied Miroku as he started to gently rub her back, hoping it would help ease her pain. "Just relax and get some rest. You've earned it. I promise I can handle being in command for a little while."

Even Sango realized she was in no position to argue. Instead she simply responded with a weak smile. "Suuure, Miroku. Anything y-you saaayy...j-just don't gooo hunting him withouttt meeee."

With that, Sango closed her eyes and slumped forward against Kirara, settling peacefully into her soft fur as the last remnants of consciousness drifted away.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Well I hope you all enjoyed this one, since it was by far the most difficult chapter to write since #6. In fact, I think it was tougher, since this had just as much action, plus the added challenge of having to write different events with different characters going on around the same time. Still I had a lot of fun with this and, I'd really like to hear your insight on how it turned out. I've gotten over 60 reviews already and I really appreciate each one. Keep em coming and I'll be happy to respond to them all. They are what keeps my motivation going :)


	13. Our Time

Sango groaned as she slowly swam back into consciousness, her body still aching in pain from her earlier activity and the world still a blurry haze as memories of the day's events started coming back in bits and pieces. The fight with Zanshin, stabbing him through the shoulder, getting thrown against the ceiling, watching Miroku pummel him, being surrounded by fire, being thrown over Kirara...and then nothing. Just a brief conversation with Miroku she could hardly recall.

As her eyes fluttered open and the world came into focus, Sango started to take in her surroundings. She was apparently lying on a bed roll and covered with a large blanket. A quick look in both directions revealed she was once again in the middle of the woodlands, most likely the very same forest where she had spent so much time tracking and fighting Zanshin and his minions. It appeared to be very late in the evening, as the sun had set and darkness was starting to creep over the land

_"I swear once this journey is over, I never want to see another tree for as long as..."_

Sango's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice nearby. "See Kirara, I told you not to worry. Not even the beating of a lifetime could keep Sango down for too long."

"M-Miroku?" Sango asked as she heard approaching footsteps. Sure enough, she soon found herself looking up at Miroku's familiar figure, though he was somewhat different then usual. His outer robe layer was gone, revealing his arms and chest that had been scorched and corroded by Malth's acidic attacks. Some of his worst wounds were covered by medical tape from Kagome's first aid box. Kirara was perched on his shoulder with a concerned look on her face, clearly worried as to the state of her mistress' condition.

"The one and only. Welcome back Sango," said Miroku as he knelt down beside her. "I hope you had a good rest and some pleasant dreams, as I'm afraid you'll find your current status in the real world to be far more painful."

Miroku was not exaggerating. As Sango regained full control of her senses, she found herself suffering from the lingering effects of her battle with Zanshin. She had a splitting migraine headache, while her body felt like it had been repeatedly trampled by a horse. Doing her best to ignore her current ailments, Sango immediately started assessing the situation.

"What happened? Where's Zanshin?"

Miroku chuckled to himself before responding. "You just woke up and the first thing you want is a debriefing? Somehow I'm not surprised. Zanshin's lab is gone, burned to the ground by impressive, if somewhat overzealous, attack by Kirara. My final blow on Zanshin sent him plunging out of the lab to the earth, where he managed to escape on his dragon mount and fly away. I didn't see where, or even which direction he was going. And before you chide me for that, I should point out at the time I was somewhat preoccupied with trying to get us out of a burning building, which thanks to some timely intervention by Kirara, I succeeded."

"Fair enough," replied Sango. "So how long has it been since we made it out? And where are we?"

"I believe it's been about six hours, but I can't be sure. I'm afraid I've been rather busy during that time with setting up camp and treating injuries, both yours and my own," said Miroku, while showing off a few exposed burn marks on his body to make his point. "As for our location, I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea. I just told Kirara to find us a good place to set down and make camp. Some place with a good source of water. But I can tell you she succeeded fully in this task. There's a stream running nearby, and the whole area contains plentiful supplies of healing herbs. It's really the best I could have hoped for under the circumstances."

Miroku finished his explanation and rubbed Kirara's head to show his gratitude, and she replied with a pleasant meow.

Suddenly Sango though of something. "What about my weapons? They were scattered all over the place during my fight with Zanshin. My sword, the Hiraikotsu! Miroku, please tell me you-"

"Have no fear Sango, I took care of everything," Miroku cut in with a great deal of pride and satisfaction in his voice. Then he pointed to a spot a few feet away. "See for yourself."

Sango turned her head in the direction he was pointing and felt an instant sense of relief. Just a few feet away, her weapons she had lost in the fight with Zanshin were laid out on a picnic blanket. All of them. Her sword, Hiraikotsu, and even her broken arm blade, were neatly laid out side by side. She was just about to thank Miroku when she noticed there were far more objects on the blanket as well. Her sword sheath, her vast assortment of poisons, and...her Slayer's uniform.

Suddenly Sango became extremely self-aware of her situation. Pulling her arms out from underneath the blanket, she saw they were both bare. Then upon lifting up the blakent covering her, she discovered that she was in nothing but her undergarments.

"Miroku! How dare you undress me? I swear if you did anything I'll-"

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I thought you'd overreact when you found that out. Look Sango, you were severely beaten by Zanshin, but since I didn't see your battle, I didn't know where all your injuries were, nor their severity. I couldn't make a proper assessment and treatment of them with you fully clothed, and it's not like I could have had Kirara do it. I assure you my dear, disrobing you was done only for the sake of medical necessity."

Sango shot him a killing look. "Really, just medical necessity? That was only thing on your mind?"

"Well I'm not going to pretend I didn't enjoy the view," Miroku admitted. "But I promise, I didn't do anything inappropriate. I was hardly in a position to do so anyway. Kirara was watching me the whole time...in full sized form...bearing her fangs...with her claws extended."

Sango looked up at her demon cat approvingly upon hearing this. "Is that right, Kirara?"

Kirara immediately jumped off Miroku's shoulder and bounded over to Sango, rubbing up against her and meowing happily to show that it was.

"That's a good girl," Sango told her. "Cause if Miroku's lying, I want you to maul him."

"Well your vote of confidence is certainly most welcome," said Miroku. Then a devious expression shot across his face. "Of course if it makes you feel better, I'll be happy to strip down to my undergarments in return-"

Sango couldn't help but laugh at this retort. _"Perhaps I should give him the benefit of the doubt. He's certainly proved his reliability and worth as of late."_

"Oh you'd love that, wouldn't you," she replied humorously. "But no, I think I'll just get dressed instead. I really appreciate everything you've done for me...for us, but too much time has passed and we've got to get back on Zanshin's trail."

With that, Sango threw the blanket covering her aside and got up to get dressed, figuring there was no need for modesty when Miroku had already had a long view of her in her present state of undress anyway. However, her thoughts quickly transitioned to her lingering injuries, and getting up off the ground suddenly sent waves of pain jolting through her body. It was as though her limbs were ancient rusty door hinges in badly need of oil, and it took some effort for Sango to pull herself up without collapsing.

"Whoa, slow it down a bit," Miroku cautioned her. "You're in no condition to be tracking small game, much less the greatest demon warrior we've ever faced. The healing herbs in this area and Kagome's special medical supplies were most efficient at treating your wounds, but the effects aren't instantaneous. You'll need a few days to get back up to full strength. We both do."

"We don't have that luxury." Sango replied bluntly as she walked over to her gear and started putting on her slayer's uniform. "Zanshin's got a huge head start on us now, and we've got no idea where he went. We have to resume pursuit at once. The destruction of his lab has given us an advantage that we have to exploit."

"An advantage somewhat negated by our battered condition." Miroku pointed out. "Besides, what are you planning? Just flying over the woods on Kirara at random looking for clues?"

Sango finished throwing on her uniform and began tying her hair into a ponytail as she pondered the question. "Um...well...yeah I guess. I know it's not much of a plan, but we've got nothing else to go on."

Miroku paused for a moment before answering. He had been trying to put off this issue as long as possible, since he had no idea what her reaction would be. It would either win her over to his plan or force him to resort to extreme measures, and he was leaning towards the latter. But there was no way to put it off any longer.

"Actually Sango, we do."

Sango immediately stopped her activity and looked him straight in the eyes. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Zanshin's demonic aura. I detected it two hours ago and its remained constant ever since. I can't be sure of his exact location, but I know he's close by, most likely less then fifteen miles away, and we should be able to pinpoint him with a good search in the general vicinity of where it's coming from."

"But I thought you said you couldn't detect his demonic aura." Sango pointed out. "You couldn't even detect demonic aura from his creations, let alone him."

"That's true, but now I can. Zanshin isn't running or hiding anymore. He's deliberately trying to lure us to him by lighting a figurative signal beacon. He wants us to find him."

Taking in Miroku's statement, Sango suddenly finished tying her hair and began collecting her weapons with haste. "That's wonderful Miroku! Well let's get going then. It would be most rude to keep him waiting."

Miroku was starting to get frustrated now. All his worst fears about what Sango would do when she learned of this information were coming true. "Slow down Sango, don't you realize what this means? He must be fully recovered from his injuries, unlike us. It's the only reason he'd be picking a fight with us so soon."

"We can't be sure of that," retorted Sango while she finished collecting her weaponry. "You should have seen how arrogant he was in the lab. He never treated me like a worthy adversary. And now that we sent him fleeing, he must be going crazy with a desire for revenge. He wants to redeem himself here and now, so much that he's made a mistake. A mistake that we have to take advantage of."

"I don't think so. Regardless of how he is in battle, Zanshin has been calm and in control this entire journey. Every step of the way we've met him on his terms, on conditions he found favorable. The man's a demon and he has the ability to create youkai from dead bodies. It's perfectly reasonable to assume he knows how to repair his own body, especially in conjunction with his own demonic healing powers."

"Perhaps, but it's also possible that I'm right and Zanshin isn't fully recovered. If so, this is the opportunity we've been waiting for. If not...well then he'll still have to take on all three of us. It's worth the risk."

"No it isn't," Miroku countered bluntly. "He could have more demons under his control that we don't know about. Either way, the fact remains we're all injured and exhausted. We've been going all-out since we started this trip. It's time to take a step back and approach the situation with prudence. Please Sango, all I'm asking for is to err on the side of caution just once."

Sango remained adamant. "Unacceptable! We can't let up now. Not when the end is in sight. If he leaves this area, he could disappear into the countryside. We might never find him! I'm not going to risk waiting another two or three years till he comes back again, with a new laboratory, new demon creations, and new victims. This is my responsibility and I have to see it through!"

With that, Sango finished collecting her weapons and turned to her companions. "Kirara, transform! We need to get airborne at once. You gather your gear and get on first, Miroku. I need you to steer Kirara in the direction the demonic aura is coming from."

In a burning flash, Kirara instantly extended to her full-size, but Miroku didn't get on. Instead he walked between Kirara and Sango, and stood there firmly with his arms folded. _"Well here it goes. There's no turning back now."_

"I can't do that, Sango"

Sango stopped in her tracks and stared at him in surprise, as if he had just slapped her in the face. "What did you say?"

"I want to get Zanshin too, especially after seeing what he did to you, but keeping you alive is MY responsibility. That's why I came on this trip. It wasn't for the thrill of a hunt or some noble act of altruism. It was for you, and I'm not about to lead you to your death."

"Miroku!" Sango shouted in rage. "You agreed from the beginning to let me be in command! You said you would follow my lead without question!"

"Well I guess I lied. Really Sango, what did you expect? After all, you've seen me lie to get us free room and board. Is it really so surprising I would go back on my word to save your life? If you want to hate me for it, go ahead. I consider your hatred an acceptable trade-off for keeping you alive."

Sango seemed ready to explode with rage, but she managed to keep her emotions in check. "Enough of this nonsense!" Sango blurted out. "If you won't help me, then I'll use Kirara to find Zanshin myself. You said he wasn't too far away, so a good sweep of the area should reveal his location, especially if he wants to be found. You stay here and guard the camp."

Sango started walking over to Kirara, but Miroku remained in between them, refusing to move.

"That's not going to happen either," Miroku stated calmly. "We're staying here until we recover from our wounds. All of us are, including you."

"You think you can stop me?" Sango shouted in rage as she stormed over to Mioku, attempting to walk past him. But as soon as she got close, Miroku grabbed her by the arms and pushed her away, not hard, but enough to send her back a few steps.

"Miroku! What are you doing?"

"I though I made that clear by now," he replied. "You're not going!"

"Get out of the way, Miroku."

"I won't."

"Get out of my fucking way!" Again, Sango tried to walk past him and again she was pushed back, this time a bit more forcibly, but still not enough to knock her down. Clearly, Miroku was doing his best to prevent her injuries from getting worse.

"No."

"GODDAMMIT MIROKU!"

Finally Sango was past her limit. Without warning, she slammed her fist into Miroku's chest as hard as she could. Miroku groaned in pain and doubled over forward, clutching his chest in response. As Miroku coughed and started to recover, Sango stared in horror at the results. It was as if her own blow had struck her in a metaphorical sense, pulling out of her enraged state and snapping her back to reality.

_"Miroku! What have I done?"_

Up to this point, Sango had always considered all the physical abuse she had dished out on Miroku to be perfectly justified. It was always in response to his own foolish lechery and his infamous wandering hands. But now, for the first time, she had struck him without provocation. He had merely been protect her from her own overzealous behavior, doing all he could to shield her from further harm. And she had decked him for it.

Suddenly Sango felt sick to her stomach, much like Miroku seemed to be now. She felt like a bully, an aggressor, the very thing she had spent her whole life trying to protect others from. And for now, all she could do was watch as Miroku regained his composure, her mind a complete blank as to what would be the proper thing to say. As she watched him rise back up, she could only wonder what his response would be. Would he curse her, tell her their relationship was over, or even hit her back? She would perfectly understand if he did any of those things, or even all three. Sango decided to simply wait with her arms at her sides, willing to receive Miroku's response in whatever form he chose to apply it.

However, as Miroku rose back up, he remained as calm and collected as ever. "Nice shot, Sango. But if you want me to move you better reach deep into that slayer arsenal of yours, because it's going to take a hell of a lot more than that."

"Why are you acting like this?" Sango practically screamed. She could hardly comprehend how he could remain so calm after what she had done.

"Sango my dear, whatever do you mean?" Miroku was actually smiling now, as if he found the situation amusing or comical.

"You don't owe me anything, and you've got no connection with the monster I'm chasing. This entire time I've been driving us onward through the most brutal conditions, with no regard for your personal feelings on the matter, and I've given you nothing tangible in return! All you've gotten from coming along is nearly overwhelmed by a plant youkai's army, shot at by renegade humans, gassed by my own poison, chased through the woodlands by elite demon super-soldiers, charred by Zanshin's creations, and nearly killed in a burning building. And after all that and this just now, you talk to me like you're still as committed to me as you've ever been? How can you do that?"

Looking her straight in the eye, Miroku took Sango's hand in his and held it up tightly. "Because I love you. And while I've made some mistakes on this journey that I wish I could take back, I would't trade the overall experience for anything in the world."

Sango could only stare at him in amazement. This was the first time he had ever said he loved her. Even when he had made his proposal to her by the stream in the village, he had never stated it so explicitly. Sango had always assumed he would do so eventually when the time was right, but could not comprehend how this moment had set up what Miroku considered ideal conditions.

"Miroku...I...don't understand."

Miroku merely smiled as he began his explanation. "This adventure we've been on. It's been our special journey. Our time. And all along the way you've shown me all the reasons why I love you: Your skill and fury in battle, your determination to do what you feel is right, but most of all, your concern for others and commitment to me. Think about it Sango, you single-handedly went through an entire building full of gun-wielding mercenaries just for me. You think just anyone would do that? You even refused to leave me when I felt like I couldn't go on, for the second time! And your determination to complete this hunt at any cost...that's not selfishness or some misguided vendetta. You're doing this because you don't want Zanshin to hurt anyone else. You feel responsible for everything he's done since he survived your encounter the first time, and you want to stop him before he can do anything else. Believe me Sango, I completely understand, and I don't blame you one bit. That determination what's enabled us to accomplish so much. We've already saved an entire town and sent Zanshin fleeing in disgrace, all because your drive kept us going the whole way. But now it's time to rest. We've been pushed to the limit and we need some time to recover. Just enough to get back to full strength. This isn't taking the easy way out or abandoning our responsibility. It's the right thing to do."

Sango continued to stare into his eyes the whole time he gave his statement, seemingly captivated by the strength of Miroku's convictions. Finding herself at a loss for words, she responded in a manner Miroku was rather surprised at, but found far more satisfying. Out of nowhere, she suddenly threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace. Taken aback at first, Miroku quickly returned her embrace, while fighting all his natural instincts to ensure his hands stayed above waist level.

"Miroku." Sango finally responded with tears welling up in her eyes. "Your presence on this journey, it's meant the world to me. You've been the voice of reason, even when you were wrong, you've kept me on track...kept me from losing my head. I never would have gotten to this point if it wasn't for you. I, I...love you Miroku, and while I miss all the others...right now..in this moment, I'm glad it's just you and me."

This was all that needed to be said. Soon they looked upon each other and quickly came together with a deep passionate kiss. As they broke apart, Sang was the first to start the conversation back up again.

"Miroku...you know we can't go any further. Not until everything is finished. Not until Zanshin and Naraku are defeated once and for all."

Sango expected Miroku to be disappointed by this, but if he was he did an excellent job of hiding it. "Sango, I don't care about that now. All I want to hear is that you'll agree to stay here and recover. That you won't go to confront Zanshin until you are back at your prime. Can you just agree to that?"

"Yes...but I don't like it," replied Sango. "I just want this be over so we can go back to Kagome and the others. Who knows what they've had to endure from Naraku while we've been gone?"

"I feel the same way, but it's for the best," Miroku assured her. "Our friends can protect themselves just fine. You made that clear enough yourself. This is what has to be done."

Sango still wasn't entirely convinced. "And what if Zanshin gets tired of waiting for us? What if he leaves and we lose track of him?"

"Then we'll do whatever we need to do to find him again, as long as it takes." Miroku calmly replied. "We've already proven we can accomplish whatever is needed, and quite frankly I don't care if I we have to chase that demon to the ends of the earth. I'll track him anywhere...anywhere as long as I'm with you."

This seemed to be the answer Sango was looking for. Finally she appeared calm and assured, with no more doubt in her mind. "Fine, Miroku. We'll do it your way this time. So...what do we do until then?"

"We can do anything we want," Miroku pointed out, overjoyed that he had finally won her over. "But for now, how about we simply sit down and enjoy the beauty of the moon?"

Finding this answer perfectly acceptable, Sango found a good spot on the ground under the moonlight and settled down with Miroku, leaning on his shoulder as Kirara shrank back to normal size and bounded into Miroku's lap, quickly curling up into a ball upon arrival.

"Say Miroku," Sango suddenly spoke up. "You know...that was pretty damn impressive how you charged into battle when you came up to find me. I bet Zanshin never got so dominated in his entire life. That was one beating he'll never forget...at least not until we kill him."

"Think nothing of it my dear," Miroku happily replied while stroking Kirara with one hand and wrapping his other arm around Sango. "After all, I was only finishing the job you started. And you said it yourself before...it really makes a difference when you are 'fighting to protect what you can't bear to lose'. That's why we're going to win this upcoming battle, because we'll be fighting together."

As Miroku and Sango continued to converse under the moonlight, a sudden thought entered Sango's head.

"_Zanshin, you devil, just wait. We're coming for you. But this is our time! And no matter what you do to us the next time we meet, you can't ever take this away!_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Wow...did I just write this? I still can hardly believe it. Well this is it, my first ever attempt at a romantic scene. I honestly had a hard time forcing myself to do this, seeing as this really isn't the type of thing I'm good at, but I felt it was necessary. After all I've put Sango and Miroku through, I had to give them something in return, right? Anyway, reviews would be especially appreciated here. I've never been this nervous about posting a chapter before, so I want to know if I pulled this off successfully.

If anyone wanted Sango and Miroku to go past first base, I'm sorry. You have to remember this takes place before the final act, and at that time in the series, Sango and Miroku had already agreed not to get too intimate before they defeated Naraku, which makes sense seeing as they wouldn't want to risk pregnancy while they still have to deal with Naraku and Miroku still has the curse of the wind tunnel he could pass on to his children. So I feel I have a legitimate excuse for them not to go any farther then they did here, and by golly, I'm going to take advantage of it!


	14. Imminent Showdown

Six days. Six long days and nights Sango and her companions had spent camping in the woodlands, licking their wounds, prepping their weapons, and praying. Praying that Zanshin would wait for them, and that whenever their hunt was over, they still had a home and friends to return too. Miroku had assured her Zanshin's demonic aura was still present, that it had not moved at all from the same spot where he first detected it, but there was no way to be sure he was telling the truth. Perhaps Zanshin had moved on and Miroku was merely telling her otherwise to keep her from going after him until they were fully recovered. Sango preferred to give him the benefit of the doubt, but considering the drastic measures he had already taken to keep her from resuming the hunt too soon, she couldn't put it past him. And so they all waited, hoping against all odds Zanshin would not use the opportunity to slip away in the vast expanse of unsettled, untamed land.

Yet the time spent during the preceding days had not been miserable, or even unpleasant for the restless Sango. No, she had made the most of it. It had been good quality time with the man and companion she intended to spend the rest of her life with. The whole time Miroku had been an uncharacteristic gentleman, keeping his perverted antics to a surprising minimum while the ever playful Kirara had been in high spirits the whole way through, helping them both to forget the unknown fate of their friends in Keade's village and the imminent lethal showdown that grew closer with each passing hour. It had been the best possible outcome Sango could have hoped for under the circumstances and she was grateful for every second of it, feeling almost as though it was their reward for all the trials and hardships they had faced so far.

_"But is this a view into the future, or a brief look at what was never meant to be?"_

Despite the wonderful experience she had shared with Miroku and Kirara during the last three days, Sango couldn't shake the sensation that this could be the last time they would all be together as what resembled a family.

Family. Even after Miroku had proposed to her, the concept was something Sango had never seriously considered. It seemed nothing but a distant naive dream.

_"How many times can we cheat death unscathed? How many traps can we avoid, demons can we defeat, odds can we overcome before-"_

_"_Sango!" Miroku shouted as he finished packing up the what little remained of their supplies on Kirara. With their wounds mostly healed and their rations running low, they had decided the time was right to set out and defeat Zanshin once and for all. "Is everything alright? You seem distant and distracted. I've hardly heard you say anything all morning."

Sango instantly broke free from her thoughts as she turned to face him, desperately trying to think of some way to change the subject. "Oh...sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind. For example, this damn arm blade. I can't fix it with the tools we've got, so it's nothing but a backup knife. I hate going into battle without all my weapons at optimal level."

"Oh come on Sango, with all the weapons you've got, I'd hardly call that a reason to feel underarmed," Miroku pointed out happily. "But if it makes you feel better, I'm rather short handed myself. I used up all my sutras in Zanshin's lab."

Then Miroku reached into a robe pocket and pulled out a single sutra. "Well...all except this little friend. I certainly wasn't going to waste it on his mindless drones."

"What's so special about it?"

Miroku began flipping the stutra through his fingers. "This is what's going to be Zanshin's undoing. It's a special sutra I crafted back at Natsumi's inn. Trust me, when I get this little giant-killer on Zanshin, it'll be the end of the line."

"Is that so?" Asked Sango, seemingly amused by his boastfulness. "Well I hate to disappoint you, but I'm going make the work you put into it a wasted effort. My Hiraikotsu will rip him up long before you get a chance to stick him with your little paper slip."

Miroku countered with an evil look. "Oh really? You know I'm always up for a challenge..."

Then suddenly he became more serious. "But however it turns out, I'm just glad we'll be fighting Zanshin together this time. I don't really care which one of us lands the death blow. I've got a much bigger task in mind."

This caught Sango's attention. "What are you talking about?"

"Listen Sango," said Miroku as he walked over to her. "When I saw you battered and beaten at Zanshin's feet back in the mill, it may have sent me into a rage, but the truth is I was scared. I thought you might be dead or dying and it scared the hell out of me. I never want to be in that position again. Protecting you is my real challenge, and I swear I won't fail."

Sango was moved by his affirmation, but her response was somewhat surprising. "Miroku...I'm flattered by your devotion, and I really appreciate it, but that's complete nonsense. It's not the mindset either one of us should have."

"What are you saying?"

"Look, I know I said I was impressed with your courage when you charged at Zanshin back there, and I was, but the fact of the matter is that it only worked because he was wounded and in such a weakened state after a long battle. You lose your head like that again, and he'll probably kill you."

This was the last thing Miroku had expected to hear from Sango so close to resuming their hunt, and he found himself stumbling for a response. "Sango...I didn't realize..."

"It's okay Miroku," replied Sango, doing her best to reassure him he didn't say anything wrong. "I know you haven't faced Zanshin in his prime yet. But I'm telling you, we'll be fighting one of the best warriors you've ever encountered. There's a very good chance we'll both have our share of injuries from this battle, so I don't want you making promises that it won't happen, to either me or you. There's a good chance it will and we'll just have to deal with it. I can't have you losing control out there. No matter what he does to you or me, we've got to stay focused and in control of our emotions. That's what's going to maximize the chances of our survival."

Miroku sighed. "Very well Sango, I promise I won't let you down. No matter what happens, I'll fight with everything I've got."

"I know you will, Miroku. You've already proven yourself times beyond counting. I know you will..." Then without warning, Sango suddenly wrapped her arms around Miroku, pulled him in close, and kissed him.

The whole thing was so stunning, Miroku couldn't even think of anything to do in response. Nothing except in enjoy the moment, of course. "S-Sango?" Miroku sputtered happily as they broke apart. "Not that I'm complaining, but where did that come from?"

Sango just laughed. "Well you said it yourself. **We're both about to tangle with death yet again. What better time is there to enjoy life's greatest pleasures**? Who am I to argue with your brilliant philosophy?"

Miroku smilled deviously as he heard Sango quote his prior comment with perfect accuracy. "My dear Sango, could it be that my lechery is starting to rub off on you?"

"Perhaps, but don't let it go to your head. We've got quite a long day's work ahead of us," replied Sango, doing her best to maintain the resemblance of professional demeanor.

It was to no avail. Miroku's imagination was already running through all the other possibilities the future held for them. "Sorry, but I'm afraid it's way too late for that. You should have known better to tempt me in such a manner..."

"Oh just get on Kirara already, you hopeless perv," said Sango in a resigned tone, though it was clear she found his antics amusing. "If it's not too much to ask, I need to you to steer her to Zanshin's aura. That is, if we can make it before you're mind is completely lost in the gutter."

* * *

><p>Soon the three of them were airborne and soaring above tree tops in the massive forest, this time with Miroku in front as he directed Kirara to the source of the demonic aura.<p>

"We're closing in on the source, but I'm afraid I can't determine Zanshin's exact position," Miroku explained. This aura of his, it's unlike anything I've ever detected. It's sporadic and vast, like Zanshin is expanding it to cover a large area."

"Well he knows how to create and control demons. We can't put it past him that he can control the aura he emits as well." Sango pointed out. "We'll just have to search for him the old fashioned way. Let's start with that clearing in the east."

Sango pointed to a large section of highlands that was mostly devoid of trees and larger plant life, roughly half a mile in length, and Miroku responded by directing Kirara over to the clearing without hesitation.

"Good idea, Sango. If he really wants to pick a fight with us, that would be the most logical place to do it. The clearing is the most visible spot around here, especially from the air. Come on Kirara, head over there and get low. Let's see if we can find any sign of him."

Upon arrival, Kirara dropped to a height of about 8 feet from the ground and greatly reduced her speed to help her riders search for clues.

Sango began a thorough search in every direction, but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. "Well this is getting us nowhere. Miroku, do you sense anything different?"

Miroku shrugged. "I'm afraid not. You know this isn't adding up. The aura proves he wants us to find him, so why is he making it so difficult-"

"Hold on a second!" Sango snapped, suddenly cutting him off. "Something's coming!"

"Are you sure? I don't sense any changes in the aura-"

"It's got nothing to do with aura, dammit!" shouted Sango. "Kirara! Take us up and get moving now!"

But it was too late. Before Kirara had the chance to obey, Zanshin's dragon servant Rasta came blazing out of the surrounding treeline and slammed into the demon cat at full speed. The massive impact sent both riders tumbling off and plunging to the ground below.

"Sango, are you alright?" Miroku asked, as he quickly pulled himself up. However, Sango was already on her feet and watching the fierce battle raging between the two flying demons about them.

"Kirara!" Sango screamed as both Kirara and Rasta quickly became engulfed in each other's flames, to no effect. Quickly realizing they were both to immune to fire, they started pounding each other in an intense mid-air duel, trying to rip each other apart with fangs and claws.

As the airbone battle intensified, it took Kirara and Rasta higher and farther away from the observers on the ground. Soon they were nothing but tiny dots in the sky, moving farther and farther away until finally they both plunged back to earth in a distant section of the forest, several miles away.

"Kirara...no..." Sango muttered softly in concern as the final visual remnants of the two demons faded into the distance.

Miroku quickly put an arm around Sango and did his best to reassure her. "Don't worry Sango, Kirara can handle herself. We'll just hold up here and wait for her to come back-"

"Indeed, it is yourselves you should be worrying about."

Both Sango and Miroku froze in response to the familiar voice behind them. Then they slowly turned around to face the newcomer in the clearing.

"Zanshin," Sango muttered under her breath.

* * *

><p>For a bit, Sango and Miroku could only stare and Zanshin in silence. He was in fresh clothing and appeared fully recovered from their battle in the lumber mill. Not a single mark was visible on his body, and once again he appeared to carry no weapons on any kind.<p>

"I'm afraid you're mangy feline won't be coming back," Zanshin continued. "Rasta will tear her apart. But in regard to you, it makes no difference. I'm going to make sure she'd have nothing to return too anyway."

"Zanshin you bastard!" Sango shouted in rage. "You've been planning this all along!"

"Of course I have. Though I must say I am disappointed it took you so long to come here. Really I was more concerned of dying from boredom waiting for you then of anything you could do in battle. What was the holdup, Sango? Waiting for your frail human bodies to heal? No matter. Even in your best condition you two are no match for me."

"Bold words from someone whom we sent fleeing from us in disgrace," countered Miroku. "It's just you and us now Zanshin, and you'll fall before our combined power. Your demons won't protect you!"

"Does your prior victory embolden you, Monk? It will provide you little comfort in the afterlife, and rest assured I will pay you back for it a million times over. I need no demons to protect me. But I did bring along a few friends."

With a snap of Zanshin's fingers, a stream of his upgraded Saimyosho wasps, at least two dozen strong, came pouring out of the surrounding woodlands, taking up a position roughly 20 feet above Zanshin and the others.

"I hope you didn't have any plans about sucking me into the wind tunnel of yours," Zanshin continued. "I'm afraid you'll have to rely on nothing but your own skills. Quite a dismal prospect, isn't it?"

"Don't be so sure," replied Miroku. "From the last encounter with your worthless lackeys, I discovered I can still use the wind tunnel up close."

"And you think I'll let you use such a thing at close range? Your delusions are truly amusing."

"I've had enough of this pointless blather!" Sango finally cut in, somewhat angered that the other two seemed to forget she was there. "It's over Zanshin. It's time to end this here and now. Though I must say considering all we've put you through, you are most foolish to confront us unarmed."

Zanshin just laughed. "Haven't you learned by now that I have no need for weapons? Besides, if ever such a need did arise, you've already brought plenty for me to chose from."

"So that's really how you see the matter?" Sango asked while stepping forward and reaching up for the Hiraikotsu on her back. "Well you can take such arrogance to your grave. You've got nothing left, Zanshin. Your servants, your lab, your human partners, they're all gone. This is the final straw."

"You're that eager to get things started, eh Sango? Very well, I'll make up for the loss of my lab by killing you both. Once I drag your worthless corpses and the remains of your nekomata whelp back to Naraku, he'll give me all the jewel shards and resources I need to restart my entire operation. The setback you inflicted will only be temporary. After all, as a demon, I've got all the time in the world."

"I'm afraid not." Sango calmly replied. "Your time has run out here."

Zanshin raised his fists into a combat stance "Really? Well then I suppose we've nothing else to say on the matter. After all, I didn't come here to banter with you. But there is one last thing you should know."

"Oh?" Asked Miroku as he stepped forward to join Sango. "And what is that?"

"I'm not really unarmed."

Miroku barely had time to process the statement and its importance before Zanshin reached into his shirt with both hands and whipped out a pair of concealed wheel lock pistols, pointing one at each of his foes and pulling the triggers as soon as he leveled them on target.

"MIROKU GET DOWN!" was the last thing Miroku heard before Sango's voice was drown out by the boom of twin gunshots, sending musket balls hurling at Sango and Miroku. Giant puffs of gunsmoke rose of from both barrels, while wildlife in the surrounding forest went scurrying away in fearful response. In a matter of seconds, the battle between the demon, monk, and taijiya had begun.


	15. The Forest Runs Red

"MIROKU GET DOWN!" Sango screamed as she saw the pistols emerging from Zanshin's clothing. If there ever was a time when she found herself grateful for the lifetime of training and experience that had honed her combat instincts, this was it. Sango detected Zanshin's move the exact moment he had reached into his shirt, and by the time she shouted her warning to Miroku, she was already in the process of evading. Well before Zanshin pulled his triggers, Sango dove out of the way with a sideways roll across the ground, causing his shot to miss by a wide margin, and finished it by snapping back up on her feet.

For Miroku, things didn't work out quite as well. Lacking Sango's combat reflexes and her lithe athleticism, he was a bit slower to react and his technique was not nearly as graceful. Miroku simply dove forward, hurling himself face-first into the dirt as the musket ball whizzed over his head, missing by mere inches.

Sango and Miroku had avoided Zanshin's opening barrage, but the initiative was still on his side. Zanshin immediately discarded his empty guns, picked a large 2-foot stone off the ground, and hurled it at Miroku as if it were nothing but a mere pebble.

Miroku, who was still pulling himself off the ground and wiping the dirt out of his eyes when Zanshin made his throw, found himself unable to avoid it. All he could do was lighten the impact by getting his arms under it as it slammed into his chest, completely knocking the wind out of him. With a rough "OOOF!", Miroku sank to his knees and fell over on his side, coughing uncontrolably and gasping for air.

Sensing victory, Zanshin quickly charged at the fallen Miroku, hoping to finish him off. But before he was even halfway there, he was intercepted by a hard-charging infuriated Sango, who rushed between them and tripped Zanshin up with a sliding foot sweep. He recovered almost instantly, but Sango was a little quicker in getting back up. As Zanshin rose from the ground, Sango grabbed him by the shoulders with both hands and drove her knee into his sternum. Then she followed through with a left hand body punch and a powerful right hand uppercut, knocking Zanshin away and giving her the opportunity she needed to pull the Hiraikotsu off her back.

"I'll bury you, Zanshin!" Sango shouted as she subsequently drilled him in the head with an inward swing. The devastating blow from the oversized boomerang tore a good chuck of flesh from his skull, knocked Zanshin off his feet, and sent him rolling across the ground for several yards before coming to a halt, bleeding profusely from his newly opened wound.

As Zanshin slowly staggered back up to a standing position, Sango went for a killing strike. Taking a single step forward, Sango threw the Hiraikotsu at him with all her might.

_"Got him now!"_ Sango thought to herself as the giant boomerang left her hands. _"There's no way he can dodge this."_

Sango's assessment was accurate. Her close proximity to Zanshin and the impact of her previous attack prevented any attempt at evasion. But the results turned out to be quite different then what Sango expected. Zanshin didn't dodge the Hiraikotsu, and it didn't hit him either.

He caught it.

Sango's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide with awe as Zanshin hauled in the mighty boomerang with a perfect catch. In all her years of experience fighting demons, Sango had never seen anything like this. Zanshin, who had no training or experience whatsoever with the large, ungainly weapon, had just handled it as though it had belonged to him all along.

"Surprised, Sango?" Zanshin asked gloatingly. Despite the steady stream of blood still pouring from the side of his head and running down his body, Zanshin seemed more confident then ever. "When will you learn that I'm the one in control here? I told you before, your weapons are mine to use as I see fit."

_"No! This can't be happening!" _Sango still could hardly believe the turn of events. It had taken her countless hours of practice, and quite a few minor injuries, to master catching the Hiraikotsu. It was supposed to be the ultimate demon slaying tool, and the notion that a demon could master it so effortlessly seemed inconceivable.

"Well, shall we continue?" Zanshin taunted her as he held the Hiraikotsu in front of him. "Or do you need more time to stare?"

Sango's attitude quickly transitioned from surprise to pure rage. Screaming in fury, Sango responded to his challenge by drawing her sword and charging back into battle at full speed, raising it above her and swinging it down upon him as soon as she got close.

Almost effortlessly, Zanshin blocked her downward strike by thrusting the Hiraikotsu up with both hands. Then he countered with a hard kick to her chest, causing Sango to double over and drop her sword.

"You're finished." Zanshin stated calmly. Then he smashed the giant boomerang into Sango's face. The impact was massive, instantly knocking Sango to the earth. She tumbled across the ground for several feet before finally halting in a patch of tall grass. There she lay motionless, face-down on the ground with blood rapidly soaking up the grass blades around her head.

Zanshin roared with laughter as he casually strolled over to Sango's prone body, still brandishing the Hiraikotsu, which was now stained with Sango's blood in addition to his own.

"Is this the best you maggots can throw at me?" He shouted at both his opponents in a tone mixed with bluster and contempt. "And to think I thought this might take a little effort!"

Suddenly, Zanshin heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. He quickly turned around to face the oncoming opponent, but not fast enough. Before he could move the Hiraikotsu into a defensive position, Zanshin found himself on the receiving end of a powerful staff blow from Miroku, who had recovered and was now charging at Zanshin like a vicious predator. The impact from Miroku's staff knocked the Hiraikotsu out of his hands and laid him flat on his back. Zanshin snapped right back up, but Miroku continued to wail away on him, raining down blow after blow.

"HANDS!-OFF!-SANGO!" Miroku shouted in rage, emphasizing each word with a staff strike. His first had the blunt end crashing into his rib cage. The second slashed Zanshin across the face and tore off the front portion of his nose. His final blow nailed Zanshin in the left side of his head, once again knocking him off his feet.

With Zanshin now on the ground, Miroku gripped the staff near the bladed tip with both hands and attempted to drive it into his brain. But just before it reached him, Zanshin's hands sprang up and gabbed ahold of Miroku's wrists. After a brief struggle, Zanshin overwhelmed him with his superior demon strength, rising to his feet, shoving Miroku away, and making him stumble off-balance for a good distance before tripping over a tree root and falling down. The whole incident didn't hurt Miroku much, but it gave Zanshin the time he needed to recover and robbed Miroku of his momentum. By the time Miroku got up, he was facing a well prepared Zanshin with his fists raised in a perfect combat stance, battered and bloody, but still looking ready to pick right up where they left off.

"So Miroku, did my thrashing of your slayer whore get your blood boiling? Good! I was hoping to get a decent fight out of you."

It took an enormous amount of restraint for Miroku to resist charging right back at Zanshin, swinging wildly. But suddenly he remembered what Sango had told him before the battle.

_"I've got to stay focused and in control. Going all out on him will just get us both killed."_

"Well you're about to get more then you bargained for." Miroku replied calmly. "I'm going to pay you back for every drop of her blood you've spilled. Now come on!"

Zanshin responded to Miroku's challenge by rushing right at him, attempting to deck him with a running punch. But Miroku was too quick. He swiftly evaded the blow and slammed his staff into Zanshin's knee, causing him to buckle. Taking full advantage of his new opportunity, Miroku slashed Zanshin across his shoulder, and then nailed him in the side of his face, sending him reeling backwards into a large tree.

Once again, Miroku tried to finish him off from there by driving the bladed end of his staff into Zanshin's skull, but this attempt turned out to be even worse then the last one. Zanshin quickly ducked under the strike as it sailed into the tree trunk and countered with a hard blow to Miroku's already injured ribs. As Miroku staggered backward, Zanshin cracked him under the jaw with his knee and then knocked him to the ground with a vicious heymaker punch.

"You really thought you could handle me, didn't you, little Monk?" Zanshin asked as Miroku shook off the effects of his most recent beating. "Without that wind tunnel of yours, you're nothing. Just a worthless little boy with a sharpened stick. Now get on your feet!"

Seething with rage, Miroku planted his staff in the ground and used it to slowly pull himself up. Even his hatred of Naraku could not match his fury against Zanshin at the moment. Zanshin had decimated his beloved Sango. Miroku had promised he would protect her, and Zanshin had made him fail in a matter of minutes. And now he was continuing to talk down to him like he was nobody, a mere weakling not worthy of his time. Miroku's dedication to keeping his anger under control was growing more difficult with every passing second.

_"I can't let Sango down." _Miroku thought as he finished getting up and rushed back into the fight._ "It's all up to me now."_

But this time, he failed to land a single blow. As soon as he swung his staff at Zanshin, the powerful demon parried by grabbing ahold of the shaft. With a rapid twisting motion he instantly yanked it clean out of Miroku's hands. It happened so fast that Miroku barely had time to comprehend what happened before Zandhin thrust the blunt end of the staff into his chest and then swiped him across the face with it, toppling the weary monk to the ground with his own weapon.

The pain in Miroku's ribs was now excruciating, but he forced himself to ignore it. Recovering as quickly as possible, he sat up to see Zanshin towering over him, brandishing Miroku's staff as if it were his own.

"Looks like this won't be helping you anymore," said Zanshin as he walked over to the large tree that Miroku had knocked him into earlier. "But what now? I've already beaten both of you maggots at your own game. Let's see if you can beat me at mine!

With that, Zanshin swung the staff into the giant tree trunk, causing an impact so powerful that it broke the thin metal weapon in half. One half fell to the ground next to the tree, while Zanshin casually tossed the other half in his hand away.

"So Monk, it looks like you've got nothing left." Zanshin continued as Miroku rose to a knee. "Ready to give up, or do you really intend to defeat me unarmed?"

Zanshin's last statement seemed to provide Miroku with a jolt of energy. He quickly finished standing up and raised his fists in a combat stance. "You're damn right I will!" He shot back. "I'll never let you kill Sango. I'll keep this up as long as it takes!"

Miroku rushed at Zanshin and attacked with a hard right hand punch, but it never came close. Zanshin easily caught Miroku's fist in his own hand and twisted it back, causing Miroku to cry out in pain as his hand was pushed back against his wrist.

"Such chivalrous nonsense," said Zanshin disdainfully. Then he kicked Miroku in the face as hard as he could

The impact drove into him with great force, feeling nearly as bad as the stone blow earlier. Miroku practically flew backwards and collapsed hard into a patch of thorny bushes, the thorns ripping through his robe and adding to his considerable pain. Zanshin resumed laughing as Miroku desperately stumbled out of the briar patch and fell to his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath. His robes were torn, his face was heavily bruised, and a steady stream of blood was now running out of his nose, quickly soaking the collar of his robe.

"Face it Miroku, it's over!" Zanshin proclaimed with a triumphant look on his face and tone in his voice. "There isn't the slightest chance you can overcome my prowess. You might as well just lay down and die right now!"

Enraged, Miroku pulled shrugged off lingering pain and prepared to continue. But even in his infuriated state, there was no way to ignore the severe pain that racked his body, nor the grim odds he was facing. Miroku was stronger then the average human and had been in a fair share of brawls throughout his life, but he knew full well he had nowhere near the level of strength, training, or experience to handle a trained and hardened killer like Zanshin with his bare hands. The demon had decades, perhaps even centuries of combat experience and training on his side, not to mention his demonic strength and endurance. Even if Zanshin just stood still and let him wail away unhindered, Miroku knew he'd probably pass out from exhaustion before inflicting critical injuries.

What he needed was a weapon or his Wind Tunnel, but the odds of getting them didn't look good either. The swarm of Zanshin's upgraded Saimyosho wasps still hovered close by, roughly two dozen feet above them, and had been following them in whatever direction their fight happened to take them. Miroku still had his specially crafted sutra, but knowing how easily Zanshin could dodge one measly paper slip, Miroku knew he had to wait for the right moment to have any chance of using it with success. The ground was now littered with weapons, but all of them were closer to Zanshin then Miroku. If anything, it was fortunate that Zanshin hadn't tried to go for them, as he would be the more likely out of the two to successfully retrieve one. Perhaps Zanshin had decided it would be more satisfying to kill him without the aid of wood or steel.

Beaten, weary, and with blood from his nose still running over his mouth and dripping onto the ground, Miroku stood up and took a quick glance back at Sango. The downed slayer was still laying face-down in the tall grass, and the area around her body was now thoroughly mixed with red. How had it come to this, Miroku wondered. They had started out three strong, but in a matter of minutes, he was all that remained to face Zanshin, with nothing but his body, a single sutra, and a wind tunnel he couldn't use. Still, the sight of Sango filled him with fury, as well as a determination to fight on, any way he could.

_"Pull yourself together Miroku!" _He thought to himself as he turned back to face Zanshin. _"You came along specifically to protect Sango and all this time you've been trying to prove yourself. Well here's your fucking chance! You really want to show her you've got the commitment she's been demanding? Then get back in there and fight with everything you've got. You've to keep this going, no matter what it takes."_

Zanshin smiled as he watched Miroku turn back to face him, the look of pain and misery now replaced with an expression of anger and resolve. "Well it seems you're ready to continue. Good! I've been looking forward to this ever since you sent me plunging out of my own laboratory. What you did to me back there earned you a special place in hell, and it's time you went to claim it."

Miroku simply ignored him as the two warriors closed in on each other. Despite everything that had happened so far, and the beating he gone through, Miroku remained focused and in control, refusing to let anger or fear take over. And just before he was close enough to resume fighting, a sudden thought entered his mind. Something Sango had told him back at the start of the hunt. It had been less then a week since then, but after all they had been through, it seemed almost like another lifetime. Still, there was one thing he remembered from Sango the whole way through:

_**"This isn't a pleasure trip. We're going after one of the most ferocious and resilient killers you'll ever find. I simply can't overstate how tough this fight will be. No matter what we do to him, Zanshin will be nearly insurmountable as long as he draws breath, and in order to beat him, that's the type of warrior that we'll have to be."**_


	16. Miroku's Greatest Challenge

_**"No matter what we do to him, Zanshin will be nearly insurmountable as long as he draws breath, and in order to beat him, that's the type of warrior that we'll have to be."**_

With Sango's instructions running through his head and blood still running down his face, Miroku boldly stepped back up to face Zanshin, determined to keep fighting, any way he could. Zanshin merely smiled as he watched the battered Monk return to face him, with the Saimyosho swarm still buzzing above him. By the gods, did Miroku hate that smile. That infuriating display of contempt and domination, as if his opponents were completely beneath him. Miroku wasn't sure which enraged him more. The arrogant boastfulness or the fact that Zanshin kept proving he was more then capable of backing it up.

_"Keep at it, you ungodly abomination!" _Miroku thought to himself._ "One way or another, I'm going to knock that contemptable little grin right off your face!"_

But there was no more time to think of such things. As soon as the gap was closed between the two of them, Zanshin sprung into action, attacking with a powerful swinging right hook. However, the move took just a bit too much time to pull off, enabling Miroku to duck under it and counter with a hard body blow. The battered Monk immediately followed up with two more shots, a left hand jab and a hard right hook that slammed into Zanshin's face, knocking him back several steps.

_"I got him! I actually got him!" _Thought Miroku jubilantly.

"Going for a knockout blow already?" The Monk asked in a taunting manner that seemed remarkably similar to Zanshin's earlier boasts. "I'm afraid you won't be able to end this that easily."

Zanshin showed no sign of pain or frustration as he recovered and stormed back into battle. "Well I suppose you're a bit more formidable then you appear," he sarcastically replied. "Keep landing such effective strikes like that and after a while I might actually feel them!"

As much as he hated to admit it, Miroku knew Zanshin was right. This was never going to work. There was simply no way he could defeat the mighty demon in a straight up fist-fight. He needed something to turn the tide in his favor. Perhaps he could hold him off long enough for Kirara to return, but there was no way to know how long that would be, or even if it would occur at all. What he needed was a weapon. One of the many that lay scattered along the ground. Miroku had no training on how to use any of them, but they were still his last hope for a decisive strike. One that would allow him to bring his own special assets into play.

As Zanshin closed to within striking distance, Miroku decided to make a gamble. In a surprising display of aggression, Miroku surged forward with a flurry of blows to Zanshin's face and body, catching the demon off guard. Nothing Miroku threw at him was strong enough to knock him down, but it kept him on the defensive and started to make him back up, allowing Miroku to get closer to his ultimate goal: Sango's Hiraikotsu lying on the ground nearby. As soon as it was within reach, Miroku slammed both fists in Zanshin's torso and then drilled him in the face with a hard straight punch, sending him staggering away.

Miroku now had the distance he needed to make a grab for the Hiraikotsu, but just as he started to lift it, Zanshin stormed back and wrenched it out of Miroku's hand by slamming his foot down on the other end. Then he kicked the massive weapon away.

"No chance Monk!" Zanshin shouted as he subsequently kicked Miroku in the chest, grabbed him by the hair with one hand, and then decked him in the head with the other, instantly knocking him to the moss-covered ground

Once again, Miroku tried to fight through the effects and recover, but it was becoming far more difficult. His vision was getting blurry and the pain was getting increasingly hard to ignore. In addition to the long attrition of battle, the fury of his recent attack had left him physically drained, with a face so covered with sweat and blood it felt like he had just stepped out of a river.

And yet somehow, Miroku found the strength to press on, in large part driven by the thought that his own death would mean Sango's as well. But as he weakly pulled himself, there was no longer any real plan floating around his mind. It was a complete blank, due in no small part to the constant pounding it had taken from Zanshin's fists. Miroku simply trudged forward to continue, determined to keep going and praying for a miracle.

As the two combatants closed the distance between each other, it was Zanshin who made the first move, lashing out with a swift kick aimed at Miroku's crippled ribs. Against all odds, Miroku managed to sidestep it and went back on the offensive, landing a pair of well placed shots to Zanshin's head. But the third punch in his combination turned out to be his last. As Miroku tried to slam his fist into Zanshin's side, the demon grabbed him by the arm and pinned it against his own body. Then he raked Miroku across the face with a backfisted blow and knocked him away with a massive kick to his sternum.

Once again, Miroku found himself sprawled and starting up at the sky, and now it seemed he was on his last legs. He felt completely drained and it was taking a massive effort just to stay conscious. But as he weakly sat up, Miroku noticed something. For the first time, Zanshin was showing a little fatigue. Rather then stand tall and taunt Miroku as he had done in the past, Zanshin actually paused to wipe the sweat and blood off his own face, then shook his head a bit before moving forward. It seemed like only a few seconds of discomfort, but to the devastated and exhuasuted Miroku, it was still a boost of morale.

_"Felt it that time, didn't you?" _Miroku thought happily. _"Maybe I can make a difference after all"_

However, the brief moment of satisfaction quickly faded in the face of reality. "I must admit, your tenacity in this battle is impressive," Zanshin conceded as he stormed over to the fallen Monk, this time not waiting for him to get up under his own power. "But courage in the face of hopeless odds doesn't change anything. The day is mine."

With only seconds to decide the next course of action, Miroku was about reach for the seal on his wind tunnel, hoping he could suck up Zanshin before the Saimyosho inflicted his own doom. But then, with his peripheral vision, Miroku saw sunlight glinting off a piece of metal lying in a patch of weeds just a few feet away from his right arm. It was effectively covered by the ground vegitation, and if not for that for the exact angle he happened to be looking at it, it would have been completely concealed.

"_My Miracle."_

At that exact moment, Zanshin knelt down next to Miroku, wrapped his hand around the monk's throat, and slammed the back of his head in the hard ground.

"Time to finish this, Monk. Let's see if your neck is as resilient as your spine!"

But Zanshin never got a chance to find out. Before he even started to apply pressure, Miroku grabbed the piece of metal lying in the weeds and swung up into Zanshin's skull. Zanshin barely had time to recognize it as one of the pistols he had discarded at the start of the battle before it made decimating contact with the side of his head, immediately sending him crashing along the ground.

The stunned demon quickly snapped up, but only to find himself facing an enraged and re-invigorated Miroku, who was screaming like a maniac and continuing to rain down blows with the pistol's wooden grip. Another shot nailed Zanshin straight in the face, smashing what remained of his nose. Then an upward swing caught him under the jaw and knocked him onto his back. Again, Zanshin rose back up, but this time he only managed to get to his knees before facing another bombardment of pistol-butt strikes.

Miroku was going all-out now, swinging the pistol into his foe wildly with everything he had. There was no technique or skill involved. Just pure animal instinct as he continued to wail on away on the battered demon, striking him over and over with a vicious cycle of blows to the head and shoulders. After a dozen hits, the powerful barrage finally came to end when Miroku connected with a strike so hard it broke the wooden stock over Zanshin's skull, leaving nothing left of the firearm but it's thin metal barrel. But the damage had been done, and now, for the first time, it seemed that it was Miroku who was in control.

Without missing a beat, Miroku tossed the gun barrel aside and transitioned his assault to his own hands, immediately pulling Zanshin into a standing position and drilling him in the face and with a massive right hand punch. Earlier in the fight, he never would have had the opportunity to land such a lengthy attack, but now Zanshin seemed groggy and sluggish, and Miroku was determined to take advantage of it, following up with a two-fisted hammer blow that sent Zanshin staggering face-first to the earth. This time he didn't stand up. He didn't even move

Miroku stood over Zanshin's prone body for a few seconds as the adrenaline started to drain from his body and his natural sense returned. Against all odds, he had taken down the mighty demon, but what now? Knowing he had to make a decisive strike while the initiative was still on his side, Miroku was about to go retrieve another weapon from the ground when a thought occured to him.

_"My Wind Tunnel! I can use it safely from this distance while he's down! The Saimyosho are above us! There is nothing they can do while Zanshin is lying on the ground!"_

Standing trumphant over his fallen adversary, a great feeling of superiority rushed through Miroku's head. Out of all the things he had ever done in battle, none had ever felt so satisfying. Zanshin lay helpless at his feet and was about to pay for every ounce of agony and pain he had put Miroku and his fiance through this entire journey.

"Demon!" Miroku shouted as he reached for the seal on his right hand. "Prepare to face the fury of the voi-"

His voice was instantly interrupted as Zanshin sprang off the ground with super-human agility, lunging into Miroku and knocking him down with a shoulder tackle before he could untangle the beads around his glove. With Miroku still struggling to take in what happened, Zanshin grabbed him by the left arm, pulled him into a standing position, and then twisted it behind his back.

"Sorry, but I prefer to keep that little hole of yours sealed up," he said calmly. Then with swift movement, Zanshin snapped Miroku's arm like twig, causing him to bellow out a blood curling scream that echoed far and wide throughout empty woodlands.

"You thought your puny human strength was enough to keep me down?" Zanshin shouted angrily as he crippled Miroku's mobility with a powerful kick to his knee and then slammed his fist into the Monk's decimated rib cage. "Nobody defeats the great Zanshin! Not Sango, not you. NOBODY!"

Zanshin emphasized his final point by lifting Miroku off the ground the launching him into the air, sending him hurling backward until his spine connected with a tree trunk and he plunged face-first into the ground. Then he stormed over to the location, determined to finish this battle once and for all. With his left arm no longer usable and his vision rapidly fading, Miroku put his right hand to his face and desperately attempted to pull the seal off the wind tunnel with his teeth. But the maneuver too complex and Zanshin was far too fast, quickly putting end to his action by stomping his foot down on Miroku's hand, causing to briefly bellow in pain before Zanshin silenced him with a swift kick to the face, knocking the devastated monk over onto his back.

Battered, bloody, and beside himself with rage, Zanshin towered over the fallen Monk, who appeared to be conscious, but only by the narrowest margin. His eyes were closed and his blood-covered face was twitching in pain and mumbling incoherently.

_"It is done." _Zanshin thought to himself. _"Like all my enemies, they have fallen before my might._

Pondering his next course of action, Zanshin was highly tempted to come up with an impromptu method of torturing Miroku to death. After everything the Monk had done to him, Zanshin could think of a no more deserving fate. But no. That was needless. There was no legitimate reason to prolong the conflict any longer. There were more important things to deal with that should not be put off for the sake of petty revenge.

_"Perhaps that will be Sango's fate", _Zanshin happily considered as he bent down and grabbed Miroku by the throat with his left hand. This time there was no response. No surprise resistance. It seemed the end really was at hand._"That is, if the bitch is still alive.."_

With a great pull of his demon-enhanced strength, Zanshin lifted Miroku's limp body off the ground and held him up by the neck at face-level. Then he started tightening his grip, planning to strangle him to death. Miroku reacted with low choking sounds, but still offered no resistance. Though he had rejected the idea of a drawn-out revenge scheme, Zanshin couldn't help but take some pleasure during what appeared to be his rival's final moments.

"So this is the end, Miroku. Is there any life left in that ravaged little body of yours? I hope so. I want you to look me in the eyes as I-,"

"YOU ARE DAMNED!"

Zanshin's final taunt was quickly cut off by Miroku's defiant shout as he suddenly sprang to life, reached into his robe with his one good arm, pulled out his sole enchanted sutra, and slapped it onto Zanshin's left arm just below the wrist. The entire sequence occurred so fast that it took Zanshin completely by surprise, with no clue how to respond.

"What's this?" Zanshin asked as he looked down at the sutra sticking on his left arm, the arm that was still holding Miroku up by the neck. "Is that pape-AAARRRGGGHHHH!"

Zanshin's puzzlement instantly transitioned into pure terror as the sutra's effects kicked in, causing him to drop Miroku and then plunge to the ground himself, where he started rolling around and screaming in agony. Never in all his centuries of existance had he ever felt such pain. It was as if the outside of his body with being repeatedly stabbed by a thousand daggers, while his insides were being burned alive. Desperately, he clawed at the sutra with his right hand, attempting to pull it off. But it was no use. It was completely fused into his skin and could not be removed by conventional means.

Meanwhile, Miroku had managed to weakly pull himself into a sitting position by bracing his back up against a tree. With all his injuries, there was little he could do besides watch the event unfold, but this was perfectly satisfactory. Despite the massive beating and multiple broken bones he had endured up to now, Miroku felt ecstatic. He had done it. Against all odds, under the most incapacitated condition, he had ensured the death of Zanshin was only a matter of time. There was no way even Zanshin's great strength would be able to remove the sutra before it was too late. The ancient crafting technique he had used to make it was simply insurmountable. Any one he attached it too would suffer the most agonizing and painful death imaginable. This was why Miroku had been reluctant to ever use it, even against demon enemies. But for one such as Zanshin, he could think of no more fitting a fate.

"No one defeats the great Zanshin?" Miroku mockingly shouted at the fallen demon, who was still writhing on the ground. "You're about to expire at the hands of a helpless cripple! Now take that to your grave!"

Even if Zanshin wanted to respond, he had no way of doing so, as the effects of the sutra had already taken a horrific toll. He had lost feeling in the entire left side of his body, and he had to fight hard to keep from losing consciousness. At this point, it was quite tempting to simply let got and allow himself to black out and free himself from the overwhelming torture. But Zanshin stubbornly refused to give in.

_"I won't let them beat me. Not now! Not at my moment of triumph. There has to be a way!"_

And then he saw it. The most unlikely thing Zanshin would ever expect to serve as his aid: Sango's sword. It was on the ground on top of a nearby rock cluster, right in the same spot where the slayer had dropped it, only a dozen or so yards away. In his crippled and pain-filled condition, getting to it seemed nearly insurmountable, but Zanshin was to determined to reach the destination, now matter what he had to endure.

Slowly and miserably, Zanshin began pulling himself along the ground, pressing forward with only his right arm and right leg able to propel him. Every movement increased the severe pain he was feeling exponentially, but somehow, he found a way to perservere. As he closed in within a few meters, he actually managed a weak smile as a thought enters his mind.

_"The weapon of my most hated enemy will be my salvation! It appears the gods have quite a sense of humor..."_

By this time, Miroku had seen it too and realized what Zanshin was attempting to do, but it made no difference. With a broken arm, multiple broken ribs, an injured knee, and a devastated body, Miroku was left completely immobile and could do nothing but hope the effects of his sutra would eliminate Zanshin before it was too late.

Such hopes were eventually dashed as Zanshin finally inched his way along the ground close enough to where he could grip the hilt of the blade. With the last bits of his strength fading, Zanshin barely managed to maneuver himself onto his his knees and position the sword against the edge of his skin where the sutra was attached. Knowing death was merely seconds away, Zanshin took one final breath, pulled the sword slightly back, and with a single swift stroke, he cut the entire enchanted sutra free from his arm, and a huge chunk of his own flesh along with it. Zanshin let out a horrified roar of pain as the accursed incantation was finally removed, and collapsed to the ground.

_"No! It can't be!" _Miroku thought as he watched the event play out to its conclusion. The sutra was supposed to bring agonizing death to whomever was afflicted with it. Not even the most powerful demon was supposed to be able to resist its effects for this long. Still, as Miroku looked on, one last glimmer of hope remained. Zanshin had not moved at all following the moment where he had severed the sutra from his arm.

_"Was this the final act of a dying demon? Did the effects of the sutra kill him just moments before removal?"_

The answer came moments later when Zanshin started to stir. Slowly but surely, he shook off the final lingering effects of the sutra's power, rolled onto his knees, and gently pushed himself up. At this point Zanshin looked quite different from the demon Miroku and Sango had faced at the start of the battle. His upper body clothing was in blood covered taters, his face was beaten almost beyond recognition, and blood was now pouring out of the massive wound in his left arm, where the cut was so deep that several inches of bone had been exposed. The aura of arrogance and control that had defined his facial expression was gone, replaced by a combined expression of misery and rage.

Under alternate conditions, it might be something to be proud of, but Miroku knew it was completely meaningless. Zanshin was still alive and ready to fight, while he remained a broken-down wreck. There was nothing left Miroku could do. No more tactics or surprise tricks up his sleeve. The battle really was over, and he knew it. Zanshin was up and slowly walking toward him now, Sango's sword still in his right and and a look of murder in his eyes.

"_I'm sorry Sango, I failed us both."_

Knowing he only had seconds left to live before the powerful demon reached him, Miroku took a moment to reflect on everything he had been through so far. It certainly had been an amazing journey, one that had brought him and Sango closer together then ever before. And now he had fallen in battle, fighting with every last bit of strength to defend the woman he loved. Altogether, Miroku thought, it wasn't a bad way to go. Certainly more preferable then being devoured by the curse in his own hand. But there was still no getting around what going to happen after he was killed. Zanshin would go for Sango next, and there was no one to stop him. In the end, none of the other positive aspects could keep that terrible thought out of his mind.

However, it would not be there for much longer, as Zanshin had finally reached him. The great demon stood tall over the fallen Monk and slowly raised the sword over his head, preparing to bring it down on Miroku in a final, fatal strike.

"It's over Miroku," said Zanshin, in a calm but victorious demeanor. "You're on a fast-track to hell, and your own wench's sword is going to send you there!"

But just then, Miroku heard a most unexpected sound. Someone, or something was approaching at exceptional speed. Even in his wretched condition, Miroku could still hear the footsteps and feel the vibration along the ground. In fact, he felt as though he could almost sense the determination of whoever or whatever was approaching, though he figured that could just be a side-effect of his recent beating.

However, the oncoming person he sensed was clearly no hallucination, for Zanshin sensed it too. In response, he turned in the direction of the oncoming presence...just in time to hear an ear-piercing battle cry and find himself on the receiving end of a powerful leaping kick that slammed into his face with incredible force. Sango's sword practically flew out of his hand, while the turbo-charged impact sent the shocked demon tumbling over backward.

From his sitting position against the tree, Miroku looked up at his savior and was amazed by what he saw.

"S-S-Sango..?"

It was indeed Sango, though Miroku had never seen her like this before. Her face was covered in a crimson mask, courtesy of a large gash in her forehead from which blood was still flowing freely, though now at a much slower pace, and her Slayer's uniform was considerably soaked as well. But there was no sign of weariness of exhaustion anywhere in her figure. She stood before him in a perfect fighting stance and an expression of determination and anger that was as intimidating as that of any demon Miroku had ever witnessed.

Sango wasn't the only one who appeared to be infuriated. "WHO DARES TO CHEAT ME OF MY VICTORY?" Zanshin angrily bellowed as he recovered from the surprise attack and looked up from the ground to face his newest foe. "HIS LIFE IS MINE FOR THE TAKING. NO ONE SHALL DENY ME!"

"Not today Zanshin!" Sango shot back. "I'm the one you have to deal with! Now stand up and fight!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Well it's done. My first battle chapter depicted almost exclusively from Miroku's point of view. I don't think the series or manga went that much in depth about Miroku's fighting style other then the Wind Tunnel, so I was hoping to make up for this shortage with this in the last chapter. I hope you think I did him justice.


	17. Marathon of Agony

In his lifetime of traveling, Miroku had been all over Japan and had seen some incredible wonders, but none of them compared to what he was witnessing now: The sight of his beloved Sango standing before him like a stone wall with an expression of pure determination on her face, seemingly unaffected by the massive gash on her forehead or her blood soaked body. That she could disregard such a devastating injury and massive blood loss simply defied explanation.

However, Zanshin did not seem impressed. "Well look who's come back for another feeble stand," he remarked mockingly as he pulled himself off the ground. With a battered body, a mangled face, and a shredded arm still spilling blood onto the ground, he hardly looked any better. But like Sango, he seemed to push the effects of his injuries aside. "No matter. You'll only give me the pleasure of crushing you a second time, and making your little Monk watch. I can think of no more fitting a fate."

"Don't you dare talk down to me, you arrogant bastard!" Sango shot back in rage. "We've proven time and time again we're more than your match!"

"You've only proven the futility of your efforts! The Hiraikotsu, the Wind Tunnel, the most deadly of sutras. I've fought through them all. What could you possibly accomplish now? You look like you've lost over half the blood in your body. How long do you think you can continue?"

"As long as necessary!" Sango retorted. "I swear as long as I've got one drop of blood left in me, I'll survive long enough to watch you die!

Zanshin had to hold back laughter at this. "You insolent little worm!" He said in a tone of pure disgust. "You can't outlast me. You never could! Every other time we've met, you've only survived because of your demon cat, and your monk. Well they won't be able to save you this time. Rasta is surely feasting on your Nekomata demon's entrails, while Miroku is going to sit there and witness your extermination. Then he'll go next, cursing to his pitiful Buddha that he couldn't do anything to stop it."

Sango nearly exploded with rage upon hearing this, but managed to quell her anger. Just that morning she had instructed Miroku in the importance of staying focused in the possible case that one of them would be critically injured, and indeed he had. Against all odds, Miroku had kept up the fight long enough for her to get back in it. Now both their survival depended upon Sango and she refused to let her emotions take control.

"Enough talk," said Sango as she slowly moved in. Zanshin merely nodded and stepped forward. Just before the gap was closed, Sango took one look back at Miroku, who was still sitting up against a tree. Battered and broken, he could do nothing more but watch the events unfold.

_"You were amazing Miroku."_ Sango though to herself. _"You gave it everything you had and then some. Now let me take it from here..."_

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted as Zanshin made the first move, going all out with a storm of consecutive blows. Sango desperately back-peddled, dodging them one after the other and waiting for the moment when his fatigue would enable her to fight back. The moment never came. Zanshin kept up the combination endlessly, showing incredible resilience given his current condition. Finally, a single jab caught Sango in the face, causing her to stumble back. Then Zanshin followed through with a hard left hook, intending to make a decisive strike.

But it didn't make contact. Zanshin's follow through was noticably slower than normal, almost certainly due to his crippled arm. The speed difference wasn't significant, but it was enough for Sango to grab his arm with both hands and twist it forward while simultaneously slamming her knee into his chest. Zanshin grunted in pain and bent forward at the waist in response, enabling Sango to knock him to the ground with a hard upward kick from her other leg.

_"His arm is badly crippled. I'll have to remember that," _Sango thought to herself. But right away she set her sights on a far more important thing: Her sword, which was lying in the grass close by. Knowing full well a weapon was needed to make a difference in this fight, Sango immediately ran to it, rushing away before Zanshin had even hit the ground.

Zanshin quickly recovered and took off after her, and with his superior speed he was able to catch up, but not quite fast enough. Just as he reached out to grab her, Sango thrust herself forward with a diving somersault across the ground, showing an amazing display of athleticism by snatching her sword up in the process and finishing the roll by snapping back on her feet.

Sango smiled as she turned to face him. With the weapon back in her rightful hands and facing a heavily crippled opponent, it seemed certain she now had the advantage. But Zanshin didn't back down. He simply resumed his fighting stance and pressed on, acting as if nothing had changed while waiting for her next move.

He didn't have to wait long. Within seconds, Sango let out a fearsome scream as she charged at Zanshin and attempted to decapitate him with a powerful downward swing. But before the blade even got close, Zanshin grabbed her arm with one hand and picked her up by the collar of her uniform with the other, using her own forward momentum to lift her off the ground and fling her into the air.

Sango's battle cry quickly transitioned to a scream of terror and she went airborne, traveling a good distance before slamming into a large tree trunk, with a collision so powerful it shattered her shoulder armor plate. Fortunately, the armor had absorbed most of the impact, but it still sent jolts of pain through her right shoulder that quickly radiated through the rest of her body.

Against the odds, Sango had managed to hang on to her sword through the entire ordeal, but was not able to recover quick enough as Zanshin stormed over to her position. As she tried to bring it back up to confront him, Zanshin swiftly kicked it out of her hand, sending it sailing through the air and disappearing amid a cluster of bushes.

Now with Sango crippled and disarmed, Zanshin laid into her with full force. "Time to end this charade!" He shouted angrily as he smashed his first into her ribs, causing her to double over briefly before he stood her back up with an uppercut under her chin.

"None can stand before me!"

Zanshin finished his brutal combo with a devastating right straight punch to her face, once again sending her rolling along the ground. From his position propped up against a tree, Miroku cringed as he watched Sango absorb the final blow. By the time she rolled to a halt, he could see she was once again bleeding from the massive gash in her forehead, along with a few smaller ones that had been newly opened by the recent activity. Fearing the worst, Miroku could only look on and hope for a miracle, while also cursing his inability to do anything to help her. Watching Sango getting beaten to death was the worst fate he could possibly imagine, but his desire to aid her simply could not override the limitations of his broken body.

_"Hang in there Sango, you can't give up now!"_

Zanshin, however, seemed to think the day was his. "It's over Sango! Just stay down and I promise I'll make this quick."

Sango refused to give in. With her face a bloody mess and her joints practically screaming with pain, Sango rose to her knees and slapped her hand against the dirt in frustration. Then she spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, as if it were a wad of tobacco, before rising to her feet.

To a casual observer, this would seem to be in Zanshin's favor, but Zanshin could see there was more to the situation than the initial appearance. Sango's expressions and body language were not of fear or misery, but of frustration, as it she were merely angered by the situation rather than afraid or injured by it. Though the long battle had taken it's toll, he could see she had plenty of fight left in her and it was going to take a lot more effort to bring this to an end.

Zanshin's observations were re-enforced as Sango finished rising and resumed her fighting stance, shaking somewhat, but still looking professional. "Hoping to end this so soon, Zanshin?" she defiantly replied. "How pathetic. Guess your superior demon endurance isn't so tough after all!"

That did it. Sango insinuating that he lacked the resolve to continue caused Zanshin to fly into uncontrollable rage, and he charged at her with a full head of steam. Just before he could attempt to flatten her, she surprised him by evading with an athletic sideways cartwheel. Zanshin quickly turned back to re-engage, only to receive an armored boot to the face from Sango's twisting, left-footed kick. The impact knocked him off his feet and gave Sango the time she needed to find another weapon, this time the one remaining pistol that Zanshin had discarded at the start of the battle.

As Zanshin rose back up, Sango lunged forward with a mighty swing at his head with the pistol's wooden grip, much as Miroku had done earlier, only to find herself thwarted as Zanshin grabbed her wrist and twisted it painfully to the side until she released the improvised club. Then he wrapped his other hand around Sango's throat, lifted her off the ground, and slammed the back of her head into a tree, keeping her pinned there and using the leverage to strangle her to death.

"Gotcha now Sango!" He shouted as he watched her choke and struggle futilely, though the tone of his voice was quite different than before. Rather than boastful or triumphant, there was only the tone of pure anger. That of an enraged and exhausted man sensing the possibility of a badly desired ending. Still, with her body pinned against a tree and her right arm still firmly in his grip, it seemed like a highly probable outcome.

Fighting hard to breath as the life was being squeezed out of her, Sango desperately reached behind her back with her left hand for the one chance of survival: Her broken arm blade. With her body pinned against the tree, it took considerable effort, but eventually she managed to wrap her fingers around the bottom of the weapon, which she had wrapped up with Kagome's medical tape back at camp in order to wield it without cutting her hand. Then without warning, she whipped it out and swung it up at Zanshin with full force.

By the time Zanshin realized what Sango was doing, it was too late. With one hand on her throat and the other pinning her right wrist, he couldn't react fast enough and could only watch as the slayer jammed the broken blade into the exposed bone on his crippled left arm. Letting out a painful cry in response, Zanshin immediately let go of Sango and went to work trying to pull the weapon out. Then, after pulling on it furiously for a few seconds, he suddenly remembered Sango was still right next to him, and looked up just in time to see her launch a powerful roundhouse kick directly into his skull, driving into him with such a force that she lost her balance and fell onto the ground with him.

For the first time since the start of the battle, there was a lull in the action as both participants struggled to recover. Zanshin continued to curse angrily and struggle to pull the blade out of his arm, while Sango clutched her sore neck and slowly rose to her feet. Deciding the lowly unloaded pistol nearby was an insufficient tool, she quickly scanned the area looking for a better weapon.

Eventually she found what she was looking for, but it was quite a distance away and getting there would take a lot of effort. Effort that Zanshin had no intention of allowing. Just at that moment, Sango heard his agonizing shout as he finally wrenched the broken blade out of his arm, and turned back around to see him hurl it right at her without missing a beat. Too drained and injured to evade his rapid action, Sango let out a scream as her own weapon cut deeply through her left thigh before sailing past and disappearing into the endless foliage of the woodlands.

Sango immediately collapsed on the ground and grasped her injured leg with both hands, blood spurting through her fingertips and spilling out onto the already soaked battleground. It seemed certain that Zanshin now had a decisive advantage, but he found himself completely unable to follow up. Finally, the massive injuries and blood loss he had suffered was starting to take its toll.

It took nearly 20 seconds for both of them to slowly pull themselves back on their feet, and when they finally did, they were both swaying and stumbling around as if they were drunk. Sango was badly limping as a result of her injured leg, while Zanshin's left arm was barely functional. Even so, both showed their courage and fortitude, instantly closing back in to engage as soon as they were able. Zanshin struck first, slamming a hard right kick into Sango's ribs, but amazingly, the blow was not strong enough to knock her down! Instead, she actually managed to wrap her arms around his leg, keeping it pinned to her chest and leaving him vulnerable. Then she drilled him in the face with a kick of her own, and once again both warriors toppled to the earth.

_"No, this can't be!" _Zanshin thought as he flailed on the ground, fighting to recover. _"My own strength cannot be failing!_" But he had to admit that was the case. For the first time, the accursed woman had actually bested him at his own field. His injuries and blood loss had simply become too severe. His demon strength was no longer reliable as a clear advantage.

Muttering all manner of curses as he rose from the ground, Zanshin angrily stumbled away to the bushes where he had seen Sango's sword fall. For the first time ever, he was actively seeking out a weapon in a fight with a single enemy, rather than trust his own body to win the day, and the mere thought of him needing to do so was infuriating to no end, but he was realistic enough to know it was needed. _"No matter. A win with a weapon is still victory. And no one here shall live to tell this tale."_

Looking back as he headed for the bushes, he could see Sango through his severely blurred vision, who was now active as well, but still not on her feet. Instead, she hobbled and crawled along the ground, pulling herself forward in the opposite direction, with no clear destination in sight.

_"She's trying to get away from me!" _Zanshin happily thought to himself upon reaching the bushes and starting to dig through them. _"All Sango can do now is flee! She's even willing to leave that Monk behind to his fate. Well, I suppose a weapon wasn't needed after all. But since I'm already here, there is no reason not to retrieve it."_

Sure enough, at that very moment, Zanshin found his prize. Pulling the thick foliage aside, he finally found the sword stuck in the ground and snatched it up with his one good arm. Then he turned back to Sango, who was still staggering along the ground away from him as fast as she could manage. "_Perhaps this will be satisfying after all. I'm going to enjoy hunting down that wench with her own weapon."_

With his vision and movement still hindered from blood loss, injury, and fatigue, catching up with Sango, even at her own crippled pace, wasn't easy. But Zanshin was up to the task. He happily shuffled after her, the final moments of her soon-to-be last stand already playing out in his mind. He was closing in now, relishing the thought of a satisfying kill on his cowardly fleeing opponent from behind.

As he closed in, Zanshin could hear Sango's panicked heavy breathing and practically sensed her desperation as she continued to crawl away, moving surprisingly fast now, leaving a heavy blood trail from her injured leg and still drizzling forehead. She was closing in on a heavy patch of tall weeds, perhaps hoping they would provide some manner of concealment from her pursuing enemy, but Zanshin was not concerned. He could tell she would never make it there in time.

"Sango!" He shouted triumphantly. "Such cowardess is unbecoming of you! Show some honor and accept your fate!"

His demand went unanswered as Sango continued to surge away, finally crawling into the weed patch. But it made no difference, Zanshin had already closed in and was merely seconds away. The weeds would provide no concealment of her form at this distance.

Finally Zanshin was close enough. Towering over his fleeing opponent, the mighty demon raised the sword up with both hands, turned it downward, and prepared to thrust it into Sango's body for a fatal strike. _"This is it! I've really got her now,"_ Zanshin thought as he thrust the sword down at Sango with all his might. _"I hope Miokru has a good view!"_

Though he did not know it, Zanshin's desire was indeed accurate. Though he was far away now, he had watched everything played out and was horrified at what he saw. Zanshin was standing over Sango in the weed patch, bringing the sword down on her and he could do nothing to stop it. It was like his worst nightmare was playing out before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do inevitable conclusion...

But it didn't happen. There was no death cry, and no grusome sound of metal piercing flesh. Instead there was only the sound of metal striking bone as Sango got her hands around the Hiraikotsu lying in the weeds; her original destination the whole time. At the very last second, she took hold of the weapon, rolled over, and pushed it up just in time to deflect the oncoming blade. Then she swung the powerful boomerang into Zanshin's exposed legs. The sword dropped from his hands as his feet were swept out from under him and he fell flat on his back.

Zanshin was in panic now. Desperately he sat up and reached for the sword with his left hand, knowing it was his only chance of survival, but Sango was too quick.

"Who's the coward now, Zanshin?!" Sango shouted as she slammed the Hiraikotsu down on his hand with massive force. Zanshin bellowed in pain as his left hand was crushed into a mangled wreck. "Now feel my fury!"

Sango swung her weapon back up, catching Zanshin in the head with a devastating upward swing. The blow sent him tumbling end over end along the ground until he finally halted sprawled out in a collapsed heap half a dozen feet away. For several seconds, all Sango could do was stare in amazement at what she had done. Slowly, her the adrenaline faded and her senses returned to normal. _"That was it!"_ She thought, panting heavily and leaning on the Hiraikotsu for support. _"That HAD to be it! There's no way he could possibly-"_

But at that very moment, her heart sank as she suddenly detected movement. Zanshin was rising up again. It was as though he had read her mind, and her own thoughts had jolted him to life as an act of defiance. One he got up to his knees, Sango could see the results of her efforts. Zanshin was a complete wreck. His face was an unrecognizable mess of tangled flesh, while his crushed hand hung limply on the crippled left arm at his side. And yet he was still rising. Against all odds, he was coming back into the fight.

Sango's mood changed from resigned exhaustion to pure rage. "You want more Zanshin?" she shouted as yanked the Hiraikotsu up from the ground and pulled it up for a throw. "Fine! I'll cleave through your sou-"

"YAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Zanshin bellowed out an incoherent battle cry as he suddenly lunged off the ground, taking Sango completely by surprise. Before she had a chance to make the throw, he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her high off the ground, and then sent her crashing back down to the earth. Sango was caught off guard and could do nothing but gasp as she dropped the Hiraikotsu and felt the impact of her spine slamming into ground._  
><em>

For a brief moment, the field fell silent as both warriors lay collapsed on each other. Zanshin was so battered by this point that it took several seconds for him to proceed. Eventually, he moved into a sitting mounted position over the fallen Sango, using his weight to keep her pinned beneath him. Meanwhile, Sango groaned and shook her head as she tried to sit up, only to be knocked right back to the ground from a downward punch into her collar bone.

"Thought you had me bested, Sango?" Zanshin shouted as he pulled back his one good hand for another strike. "I'm going to beat the life out of you!" Another blow was launched, this time aimed directly at Sango's face, which she narrowly avoided by jerking her head to the side. Zanshin grunted in pain as his fist slammed directly into hard ground.

Zanshin's punches were remarkably slow and sluggish, but Sango knew it made no difference. One more solid hit and she'd be done for. Desperately she squirmed and struggled, doing her best to wiggle out from under him, but it was no use. He simply outweighed her by too much and there was no way to get free. Zanshin sensed the end was near as he threw out another blow, which Sango barely managed to deflect out of the way with her own arm.

Zanshin was annoyed by her continued resistance, but knew it only delayed the inevitable. There was no way Sango could keep avoiding his hits from her position. She was completely pinned beneath him, and while her arms were unrestrained, there was nothing she could do to fight back except throw weak, inconsequential punches upward. _"There's no way she can get out of this,"_ he thought happily as he slowly cocked his right arm back for another strike. "_You put on a good show, Sango, but now it's time to face your.."_

But at that very moment, Sango stole the initiative with one final surprise. As Zanshin raised his fist back, she suddenly pulled a poison container from her waistband, broke it open by smacking it against the ground, and hurled the contents directly into his face. The effects were immediate as the deadly venom soaked through his multiple open wounds. Both of Zanshin's hands shot up to cover his affected face as he staggered backward off Sango and then dropped, rolling along the ground and screaming in agony.

Sango took a few moments to recover, then she quickly pulled herself up as fast as her crippled condition allowed, and soon snatched the Hiraikotsu up as well, quickly pulling it back for another attempted throw. Hindered by blood loss and limbs that felt like blocks of wood, this took considerable effort, and enough time for Zanshin to see what she was doing. Amazingly, he managed to rise back up and storm toward her, swinging wildly and doing anything he could to break up her actions.

It wasn't enough. His vision was blurred glob and the pain was simply unbearable. Casting her own ailments and condition aside, Sango focused all her efforts into one final throw, and with a triumphant shout, she let the giant boomerang fly. Zanshin had just enough time to see it coming, but could do nothing to stop it. The Hiraikotsu plowed through him at full speed, quickly shredding his decimated body and tearing him apart. Zanshin let out one final scream as the demon spirits within it cleaved through his soul, which was quickly silenced as his inert corpse disintegrated upon hitting the ground.

Sango watched the whole thing play out in in a battered stupor, trying to comprehend everything that occurred. The entire forest around her resembled a war zone after a battle from opposing armies. Blood was everywhere, while broken and worn out weapons littered the field. After everything that had happened so far, she could hardly believe she'd won. That Zanshin really would never be coming back. It didn't seem real. But it was.

_"I've done it!" _Sango thought happily._ "After all this time I've really done it! Zanshin is gone! After all this time, I've finally-OH FUCK!"_

Sango's train of thought was abruptly brought to a halt as she realized the Hiraikotsu was still in flight and now careening back to her. Too badly weakened to attempt a catch, Sango was forced to dive out of the way, narrowly avoiding death from her own weapon as the giant boomerang slammed into ground where she had been standing just seconds before evasion.

Groaning in misery, Sango slowly rolled onto her back and lay there with her arms outstretched, taking in all that had occurred. Then she started laughing. _"Real smooth Sango! Taken out by your own weapon at the moment of victory. What a humiliating death that would have been."_

Sango had avoided that fate, but the situation was still grim. Blood was still flowing from her wounds. Both she and Miroku were badly crippled and stranded in the middle of nowhere. No one knew where they were. Kirara was still missing and there was no telling if she was coming back. All of their rations, water, and medical supplies had been on her when she was driven away...

Sighing heavily, Sango pushed the thoughts aside. _"I just defeated Zanshin. After so much traveling and so many obstacles, our quest is finally complete! Can't I take in a little pleasure from that? Just for a little bit? But how to celebrate?"_

Sango smilled weakly as she stared up at the sky and clouds about her, piercing through the treetops in the forest, as the Saimyosho wasps that had been hovering above the participants during the battle now flew off to an unknown destination, perhaps to inform Naraku of Zanshin's demise. It certainly was a beautiful view.

_"I think I'll just lay here for a while..."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Well this is it. Like Sango, I can hardly believe I've actually finished this. At 3 chapters and 11,895 words (not counting author's notes), this is not only the longest single battle in one location I've ever written, but also the longest I've ever seen in any story on FF (If any of my readers know of a longer battle, please point it out. I'd love to read it). I'd love to hear everyone's insight on this. And of course, I hope you keep reading, as Mir/San aren't in the clear yet.


	18. Past Reflection and the Road Ahead

"And_ here I thought our fight with the plant demon was a miserable victory," _Sango thought to herself as she recalled the group's battle in the woodlands that had started the whole thing.

Now laying in the clearing of the woodlands, staring up at the sky, Sango found herself almost laughing at such a concept. How she longed for such a similar outcome, as part of a group that was mostly intact and with an injured companion whose demonic healing powers maximized his chances for survival. Instead she found herself sprawled out on a blood-soaked battle ground littered with worn out weapons and broken bodies, including her own. It seemed as if every inch of her body ached with pain and fatigue, while the sizable amount of partially dried blood on her uniform and skin made it feel like she was covered in molasses. The bleeding from the large gash in her forehead had finally ceased, but it was still seeping from her injured leg, now at a slower pace, but this could simply have been because she hardly had any left to lose. With no water, food, or medical supplies, her odds of survival were looking grimmer every second. Kirara was still nowhere to be found, and Sango couldn't help but fear the worst.

Still there was a great deal of pride in what she had accomplished. She had finally done it; finished the last unresolved hunt of her youth. The one demon who had gotten away and the most skilled demon she had ever faced prior to Naraku was no more. She had gone through numerous obstacles, fought through nearly every type of battle situation imaginable, and despite taking a constant pummeling, she had fought to the end and prevailed. Now it seemed there was little more to do except wait for the end. Perhaps death would be her only release, her only reward.

As a demon slayer, she had always known this would be a high probability, and she had long ago learned to accept it. If anything, death after such a long quest and a glorious victory was almost ideal. Her thoughts continued to wander as she imagined the lavish funeral her village would hold for her and the grand speech her father would have made, with Kohaku being told again and again how he should be proud and do his best to live up to her example. Sango had been to her share of them herself growing up, and recalled fondly how the departed's best deeds and proudest moment were recalled in great detail to provide comfort to all those left behind.

_"No, that's foolish," _Sango thought, smirking at her own game of self-delusion. Her village was gone and all its inhabitants were dead, save for Kohaku, who was now suffering through what most would consider a fate worse than death. Sango was going to die a miserable death, if not from her injuries then from exposure and starvation, out in the middle of this wretched forest and no one would be left to tell her tale. Perhaps Inuyasha and the others would find her remains some day, but that was the best she could ever hope for. Of course, that was assuming they were still alive to do so. Perhaps Zanshin had told the truth about Naraku's assault on the village and they had all met their own fate at his hands. There was simply no way to know.

But one thing she did know of was Miroku. Without even being asked, he had gone through the whole experience with her. He had chosen to make this issue his own and had been totally committed to the cause the entire way through, but his only reward would be sharing her own fate. This was the worst feeling. The one the overrode everything else. Knowing that he was going to die for her, and there was nothing she could do to change it.

Desperately, Sango racked her brain for some consolation. It had been his choice to come along with her, after all. In fact, hadn't she done everything possible to ensure that he didn't? But no, Sango knew she was once again deluding herself. Miroku loved her. Though he hadn't said it outright until recently, she had known this whole time. There was no real choice in the matter. Sango's determination to resume this hunt had ensured he would come along as well. She knew this for a fact, simply because under the same circumstances, Sango would have done exactly the same thing for him. She should have known, and perhaps she had. Suddenly, Sango started to wonder if her decision leave Kirara behind hadn't been a subconscious assist rather than an attempt to go it alone; perhaps a subtle way to ensure Miroku had a chance to find her before she got too far ahead.

But there was no point dwelling on such things. If Miroku was going to die for her, the least she could do was go to him...be with him till the end. Sango was so wracked with guilt that she could barely force herself to look in his direction, but she knew this had to be done. Sango owed him that much. Desperately fighting against the urge to let the darkness claim her, Sango painfully rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up on her hands and knees. Then she slowly rose lifted head to get a good look at Miroku for the first time since she had rejoined the fight.

What she saw nearly made her throw up. Miroku was still sitting up against the tree for support, with his right arm resting across his lap and his broken left arm limply at his side. The lower portion of his face and upper portion of his robe was thoroughly covered blood, while cuts, bruises, and swollen lumps were mixed into seemingly every inch of his exposed skin. His eyes were still open and he appeared conscious, but just barely so. Having seen enough, Sango pulled herself off the ground and head to him, determined to spend whatever final moments they had together.

This turned out to be far more difficult than Sango realized. Upon standing up and surging forward, she was only able to take a few steps before screaming in pain and collapsing with a dull thud. By this point, her injured leg was excruciating and supporting any weight with it required significant effort. In response, Sango's attitude changed from resigned depression to pure rage.

_"I just defeated one of the greatest warriors this nation has ever seen. I'll be damned if I can't take a few more fucking steps!"_

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Sango once again pushed herself off the ground and set out, this time determined to get to Miroku no matter how painful it was. As she clumsily stumbled forward, she could see Miroku was aware of her actions. He was fully alert now, and appeared to be pointing in her direction with his one good arm and mumbling something that Sango couldn't make out. This was rather baffling to Sango, but she didn't give it a second thought. Getting to him was all that mattered at the moment. And with a few more steps that continued to test the limits of her pain tolerance, she finally arrived, sinking to her knees next to the tree Miroku was leaning on.

"Miroku!" Sango shouted, trying to hold back tears. "I'm so sorry...sorry for everything"

Through his bloody and battered face, Sango could make out a surprising smile. "Why Sango, W-what do you mean?" He asked weakly. His voice was low and clearly reflected his overall condition. "You won, didn't you."

"Yes...we won. Zanshin is gone. But at what price? We're both going to die out here in the middle of nowhere and it's all my fault!"

Despite this dire news, Miroku maintained his smile and positive attitude. "Sango...it's alright. We just need to hang on a bit longer. Everything's going to be alright."

Now Sango was unable to unable to suppress her tears any longer. Miroku's comfort in such a time of need was a true testament to the strength of his character, even if it was unrealistically optimistic. "Oh Miroku, it means so much to hear that from you. But we have to face the facts. No one's coming for us out here. And with our injuries, there's no way we can make it out of this place alive. But I promise I'll stay with you. I promise we'll be together to the very end."

Miroku still seemed assured of his position. "I know we will, Sango. But that's not going to happen any time soon."

This caused Sango to pause. His tone was so full of conviction that it was practically certain it was based on more then mere hope.

"You just need to have a little more faith," he explained, "and look over your left shoulder a little more often."

Sango's tears quickly dried up as she was suddenly perplexed at his closing remark. Then she saw him pointing again, just as he had before. But now Sango realized he wasn't pointing at her, but at something behind her and in the air. Miroku was simply too badly crippled to do so effectively. Following his prompt, Sango turned and looked behind her, to discover the most welcoming sight. Kirara, her faithful demon cat and currently their only chance of survival, was in sight. She was a mere speck in high in the air at the moment, but was bearing down rapidly and would arrive in seconds.

"Miroku? How long did you know?..."

Miroku laughed a bit before being interrupted by some sickly coughing. "I saw her as soon as you started making your way over here. And before you kill me for not informing you sooner, you should know I made my best attempt under the circumstances. And I certainly do appreciate all the effort you made in getting here, however unnecessary it turned out."

If there was any anger at all the needless pain she had endured, it quickly passed. Sango was now gazing up at the sky as Kirara came into full view. Much to her dismay, Sango could see Kirara was just as ravaged and bloody as they were, but it was soon apparent a fair amount of the blood on her fur was not her own. Kirara could not speak but the expression on her face practically told the tale for her, how after a seemingly endless battle, she had finally reduced her dragon opponent to a shredded wreck. How the battle had taken her miles away from Sango and Miroku, and by the time it was done, she had completely lost track of where she had left them. With Malth's and her own blood covering her body and diluting her senses, it had taken her nearly an hour to track them down, but she had finally done it. And not a moment to soon, for she could tell they were badly in need for of the water and medical supplies she carried on her back.

"See now, I told you everything would be alright," said Miroku as Sango turned back to face him. "I'm afraid you'll have to handle things on your own again though. I'm not exactly in ideal shape to be patching us up this time."

"I can see that, but don't worry. Just relax now. I'll take care of everything, I promise," Sango replied.

"I know you will," Miroku said as he leaned back against the tree and started to close his eyes. "But you better not try anything inappropriate", he added in mocking reference to their argument in the woods after the Laboratory battle. "Because I'd hate to miss it."

* * *

><p>Nothing had prepared Sango for this. Her slayer training had involved plenty of courses on treating injuries in the field, and the lifestyle offered plenty of chanced to put it into practice. In addition, she had been given plenty of instruction from Kagome on how to use her modern medical supplies. However, none of this factored in providing self-medical care while severely injured, nor having to prioritize doing so over a close companion even more injured than she was.<p>

Knowing she would be no good Miroku if she passed out from blood loss, Sango gritted her teeth, pulled the first aid kit off Kirara, and immediately got to work on herself. First she took a few special tablets ("pain killers" according to Kagome) and gulped them down with a swig of water from a canteen. Then she started bandaging up her leg. It took a huge amount of medical tape and guase, but she was finally able to get the wound sealed.

Next, Sango washed the blood off her face and went to work bandaging the gash in her forehead. Thankfully it had already stopped bleeding, and a quick application of a proper bandage took care of it. With the major injuries treated, she decided to ignore everything else and get to work on Kirara, who she happily discovered had mostly superficial wounds. They took less than a few minutes to handle before she could turn her full attention to Miroku.

_"Well here we go. This is really going to take some effort..."_

* * *

><p>It was nearly an hour later when Miroku awoke to the feeling of dampness on his face. As his vision slowly returned into focus, he could see it was Sango sitting on the ground next to him and wiping the the last traces of blood away with a wet rag. Behind her, Kirara was curled up and resting nearby, still in her full-sized form.<p>

"Sango...is everything okay?" He asked drearily, alerting her to the fact he was awake.

Sango responded with a dim smile. "Well I'd like to think so. Zanshin is dead and our hunt is over. But you tell me, Miroku. How are you feeling?"

As Miroku gained full control of his senses, he was able to perform a self-assessment. He was still in a sitting up position with his back propped up against a tree. His broken left arm had been properly set and splinted. It was now resting across his body in a makeshift sling Sango had put together from broken sticks and material she had ripped from the sleeve of his robe, while his robe was pulled open from the waist up, exposing many bandaged cuts and bruises on his torso. Miroku's broken ribs and strained knee ligaments still throbbed with pain, and there was little Sango could do for them, but everything else had been patched up and treated as effectively as possible.

"Well I doubt I'll be participating in athletic contests anytime soon." he replied sarcastically. "But altogether I'd say you did a magnificent job. Looks like I owe you once again."

Sango had to hold back laughter at this. "How can you say that after all we have been through? You don't owe me anything. You've clearly given me your all."

"But it wasn't good enough," Miroku bitterly replied while lowering his head. "I'm sorry Sango, I couldn't protect you in the end."

"You mean these?" She asked, pointing to her heavily bandaged leg and forehead, both of which had small amounts of blood showing through on the surface. "Think nothing of them. I told you neither one of us would get through this unscathed. Besides, after all the injuries you've suffered on my account, I'd almost feel guilty if I did."

"This isn't funny, Sango," said Miroku, with a serious tone to back up his point. "That's not what I meant. I couldn't handle him. Despite everything I poured into the fight, and how close I got to victory. Zanshin was just too much. It was simply luck that you recovered in time."

"You call that luck? Miroku, you held off one of greatest demon warriors who ever lived for longer than I ever could have imagined. No matter how hard he pounded you and how long the battle dragged on, you just kept fighting. That's the only reason I was able to recover in time. I simply couldn't ask for more."

"I suppose," Miroku sighed. "But that's hardly satisfying. I had to simply watch the final part of the battle. Watch you nearly get killed multiple times over, knowing there was nothing I could do about it. Do you have any idea how horrible that was?"

Sango finished wiping the last of the blood off Miroku's face and tossed the rag away. "Well at least you got to see me in action. I really wish I could have seen you, instead of spending the whole time in darkness or a blurry haze. But let me tell you the one thing I did see. I saw Zanshin on the ground, wailing in agony at the hands of a man who was almost completely disabled. Let me tell you Miroku, that was one of the most inspiring things I ever saw. If anything was responsible for pulling me back into the fight , that was it. I may have struck that final blow, but it was every bit as much your victory as mine, and I don't ever want you thinking otherwise."

Now Miroku was beaming. "Ah Sango, you always did have a way with words. When you put it that way, I suppose there is nothing to dispute."

"Not at all," replied Sango pleasantly. "Miroku, I've always admired the protective side of you. You just need to understand it goes both ways. Seeing you getting beaten to the brink of death wasn't something I was prepared for, not matter how much I tried to. But I got through it, just like you. We did it together. Ever since we first met, you've proven yourself to me time and time again. Your devotion isn't in question here. The only question that remains is how often you'll be willing to go through events like this again."

Now Miroku was laughing. "Again? Isn't it a bit early for that? And many old enemies in need of vanquishing do you have left?"

"You know full well I didn't mean anything now," Sango countered, though she could easily detect his sarcasm. Then her tone became far more serious. "I just mean these types of quests in general. This is my life. Demon slaying is what I was born to do, and no matter what happens between us, no matter how many children we have, no matter how big our family gets, it's always going to be a part of it. And I'm going to keep it up until I can't do it anymore. Can you accept that, Miroku? A life with me knowing the possibilities you might have to face in the future?"

"Sango my dear, you should have known you don't even have to ask," Miroku replied without hesitation. "I've always known that ever since you first accepted my proposal. That's why I never brought the issue up before. It wasn't neglect or shortsightedness. It was something I've been ready for all along. After all, If you're willing to accept a hopeless swindling lecher like me, then it's the least I can do in return."

"Well I guess everything's resolved then," said Sango as she knelt down next to him and handed him a water flask. She knew her response was rather underwhelming, but the manner in which they had stumbled into this topic had left her unprepared. "I'll tell you one thing I regret though. In spite the time we've had together on this adventure, and the great things we've accomplished, we won't be getting through this with anything but our lives."

"Why Sango, that doesn't sound like you at all," said Miroku as he finished taking a gulp of water. "Looks like my sense of materialism is also contagious."

Sango sighed. "I didn't mean money. I just would have liked some recognition from at least someone besides us. This was the most grueling and epic hunt I've ever been on. It's the type of thing that would have earned us a grand festival or ceremony back home. But there won't be any of that now. We're the only ones who will even know what took place."

"Maybe so, but that still means a lot. At least it does to me." Miroku finished drinking from the flask and tossed it aside. As he did, a sudden thought occurred to him that might help cheer her up. "Say...Sango, remember when I said I'd prefer you came up with some less traumatic bedtime stories for our children?"

It seemed like an eternity ago, but Sango still remembered it well. "Yes...what of it?"

"Well this can be the exception. We did something incredible here. All the things we've been through, all the experiences we shared. I'm glad I got to do it with you alone. And I'll be proud to share it with our children when the time is right."

"Well I have a feeling you'll take some creative liberties when you tell the tale," Sango replied skeptically. But even as she said this, she began to see his point. It had been an amazing journey full of incredible experiences they had shared together; certainly not what most couples would consider quality time, but it didn't matter. That was what made her and Miroku unique. She would treasure this journey every bit as much as he did, and it would make for a great story to share with the next generation.

Suddenly, Sango scooted closer to Miroku and a devious expression flashed across her face. "Say...Miroku? Remember when I told you how most of my demon hunts didn't end?"

Miroku did recall that part of the conversation too, but he couldn't quite comprehend the significance. "Umm well, I suppose..."

"Let's make an exception from that rule too."

Without any warning, Sango was upon him, wrapping her arms around Miroku and bringing her lips crashing onto his. It was so surprising that Miroku couldn't even process what she had been referring too before he was completely engulfed in her kiss, but his lecherous nature enabled him to easily make up for lost time. Using his one good arm, he immediately pulled her in and returned the favor.

And it only got better from there. For this time it seemed Sango was not satisfied stopping at one. She continued to kiss him over and over, with such an intensity that Miroku could barely keep up.

_"__By the gods, I love this," _Miroku thought to himself. He could hardly believe how fast their relationship was moving. At this rate, perhaps it would not be too long before Sango was a lecher in her own right. But there was no time to think of such things, for he was focused on the moment and the next step. Perhaps he was overplaying his hand, but if Sango was going to completely abandon her sense of restraint, Miroku decided he might as well follow her lead. He quickly slid his right hand down her back all the way to her bottom and firmly caressed it, fully prepared to receive whatever retribution Sango would dish out in response.

Only this time, there was none. Instead, Sango moaned with pleasure continued to go at him without breaking stride. In fact, she was progressing, and for the first time he found her hands running over his body. "N-no slap this time?" Miroku asked as soon as the first pause was available.

"Nah, I think everything you've had to endure recently is punishment enough," Sango replied sarcastically. "Feel free to indulge yourself."

Miroku was all too happy to play along. "This long adventure, all the traveling, all the battles...that's what I had to go through to earn it?"

Sango continued to laugh. "Well there were more conventional ways it could have been done, but in this case I suppose that's how it turned out. Does that upset you?"

"Not at all. It was absolutely worth it," Miroku happily replied. Then he pulled Sango back in close, planted his lips over hers, and picked up right where they left off, immensely tightening his grip on her rear in the process. Indeed, his only regret was his current inability to use both hands.

Sango's mind was buzzing with activity. Even as they continued go at it, she knew they should stop soon. That they should wait to take it any farther. Sex was simply too great a risk while Naraku still had to be defeated and Miroku still bore the curse of the wind tunnel. And yet...the situation was simply too perfect. Everything felt like it was going exactly as it should be. The pain and aches from her recent battle seemed completely banished from her body. The moment just seemed right. There was nothing holding them back. Nothing in the way. No-

"AAARRGGGGGHHHH!"

Nothing except crippling injuries, which became apparent when Sango, caught up in the moment, accidentally put the full weight of her body against Miroku's broken arm and ribs. He immediately bellowed out a terrible scream of agony, causing Sango to jump off him backwards in horror, while behind her Kirara snapped up awake and alert with her paws ablaze, quickly scanning the area for threats.

"Miroku! Oh god I'm sorry! I completely forgot about that! Are you alright?" Sango asked, fearing she had just added several months to his recovery time.

Clutching his injured arm and panting heavily, Miroku did his best to save face. "No, no...it's okay...I'll be fine. J-just...give...m-me..a...moment."

For a few minutes, Sango could do nothing but nervously look on while he recovered. As soon as he felt well enough, he immediately spoke up to calm her down. "Okay...I'm fine now...everything's fine. We can resume. Just try to avoid the broken bones from now on."

"What?"

"Well we certainly can't let a minor inconvenience drive us apart," he explained.

Sango responded with a confused look. "Ummm Miroku, don't you think that was a clear sign we should stop now?"

"Oh not at all," Miroku shot back defensively. "I'll manage. All you have to do is-"

Sango stood up and brushed herself off. "Look, I admire your resilience, but-"

"Oh come on, where's that fighting spirit? After all we've been through, surely we can find a way to get over this."

"Miroku!" Sango tired to sound angry, but Miroku could see she was about to burst with laughter. "I'm not going to get intimate with you under these conditions! I'm still in a lot of pain here, and you're so badly mangled you can barely move!"

"But that doesn't have to stop us," Miroku protested. "From my years of traveling throughout the land, I've discovered all sorts of things that can help make up for our ailments and lack of mobility. For example, there was this one technique I learned in a Kyoto brothel-"

"MIROKU!"

"Oh fine..." Miroku sighed in disappointment. "Ah, to enjoy such moments of bliss but still denied the ultimate fulfillment. Oh great Buhdda, why must you test me so?"

Once again, a devious look appeared on Sango's face. "Just consider it a prize waiting for you at the end of your eventual recovery."

This immediately changed Miroku's mood. "Sango my dear, I swear you'll accelerate my convalescence better than any magic or medicine ever could."

Sango merely smiled. "I had a feeling that would do the trick. Now we need to gather our things. We've lingered here long enough."

* * *

><p>Sango spent the next several minutes going painfully around the battleground with Kirara collecting her discarded weaponry, a formidable task considering where they all ended up and the fact that it still hurt to walk. Each one reflected the same condition as their owner: Bloody and maimed. Her Hiraikotsu was particularly worn down, with holes still showing from the gunshots in Natsumi's inn and numerous cracks.<p>

_"Guess__ Miroku and I are not the only things out here that will need to recover."_

Sango also picked the one remaining functional pistol Zanshin had carried. Her experience with them had shown these dynamic new weapons were most devastating, and perhaps she could put it to good use in the future, even if at the moment she had no additional shot or powder, and only the most basic knowledge of how it operated. At the very least, it would make a fine war trophy. Finally, she collected the two halves of Miroku's broken staff and headed back.

"Sango, why bother bringing that along?" Asked Miroku as he saw her load the last of their weapons and supplies onto Kirara. "That staff will never serve me again. There's no way I can fix it."

"Now Miroku, after all the damage you did with this thing, how could you think of discarding it?" Sango responded as she finished up and made her way over to him. "You might not be able to fix it, but Totosai can. Just wait. He'll have it ready by the time your wounds heal, and it will be better than ever."

"Totosai?" Miroku asked doubtfully. "Don't be ridiculous. A master blacksmith like him would never bother with such a simple weapon. There's no way he'll ever agree to work on it."

"Oh I think he will...once he hears me describe all the ways I'm going to torture him to death if he doesn't."

Miroku laughed when he heard this. "Sango, have told you recently how much I love you?"

"Ineed you have," Sango replied happily while reaching down to help him up. "But I'll never get tired of hearing it."

The final phase of their departure, helping Miroku get to and get on Kirara, turned out to be the most difficult, with both their injuries proving a major hinderence. Indeed, the sight of them making their way over to Kirara would be considered comical to most observers: A severely crippled man being led along by a moderately less crippled woman. Eventually though, they managed to climb onboard and prepared to head out.

"Okay Kirara, let's go," said Sango, gently rubbing Kirara's head. "Take us home...assuming we still have a home to go back to."

Miroku did his best to calm her nerves. "Don't worry, Sango. Even if Naraku did assault Keade's village, I'm sure they drove him back. You know full well we left it good hands."

Sango merely sighed as Kirara started to ascend. "I know we did Miroku. I believe in them...but only time will tell."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Well I hope you all enjoyed my second attempt at a romance scene. Also, in case you forgot the conversation they were referring too before that, it was back at the opening of chapter 5.<strong>


	19. The Long Road Home

Of the many rides Sango had taken on Kirara, this was not the longest, but it most certainly seemed that way. Perhaps it was the lingering pain from her battle wounds, or the incredible hardships she had faced along the way that made the trip seem exponentially longer than normal, but most likely it was the uncertainty about what was waiting for her at the end.

_"A warm welcome home or a village in ruins?" _The demon slayer bitterly pondered as she gazed down at the scenery beneath her. She couldn't help considering the possibility that she would experience dealing with the same fate of her own village a second time.

There had been much time in the air to reflect on all she had been through with Miroku and her intrepid demon cat over the course of her journey. It had been less then a week since she had set out to complete the one demon hunt from her youth that had never been finished, but it felt like she had gone through an entire lifetime. She had pushed herself and her companions more ruthlessly and rigorously then ever before. They had fought multiple battles against all manner of enemies in the most adverse of environments. And against all odds, they had prevailed, if only by the narrowest margin.

Sango knew she should feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment, but bitterness still lingered in the air. What had it all been for? Even if her friends were safe and the village intact, Naraku was still out there, and Kohaku was still under his grip. Whatever the case, many more bloody battles still lay ahead, and Sango couldn't help but wonder if she would ever find a sense of peace and stability in her life.

"We should be coming up on the village soon," Miroku suddenly spoke up from behind her. "Just a bit longer now".

Miroku's sudden statement snapped Sango alert. "Yes I suppose we will. The question is will it still be there waiting for us." Although Sango had done her best to convince Miroku her companions back home could handle whatever Naraku threw at them, now that their fate would be revealed, she couldn't help but fear the worst.

Miroku responded by wrapping his one usable arm tightly around her waist and gently kissing the back of her neck. "I'm sure everyone at home is fine, Sango. You said yourself that they can take care of themselves. After all, we survived. Why should we expect any less from them?"

Sango gently leaned back into Miroku's embrace and put her hand over his, basking in his touch and reassurance. If there had been one tangible reward for all her troubles, sharing the experience with Miroku was clearly it. Through all the obstacles and struggles, both physical and emotional, sharing the hunt with him had brought them closer than ever. If there had been any lingering doubts about Miroku's commitment to their future together due to his swindling and womanizing lifestyle, this adventure had forever put them to rest. Miroku had proven he was completely dedicated to her in every way possible, and while their long term survival was still very in doubt, their future together was not.

"You're right Miroku...but you know, the place could still be under siege. We could very well be heading into another battle," she pointed out half-jokingly.

"Well I'd like to think they've taken care of everything by now," Miroku replied. "Because if they haven't, we sure as hell won't be much help-"

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a great roar from Kirara, alerting them of contact ahead. Sango immediately turned away from Miroku and saw what she was warning them about.

"Miroku! Look!"

Miroku already saw what Sango was pointing at. Great plumes of thick, black smoke were visible from the direction of Kaede's village. Though they couldn't be certain, they seemed to be coming precisely from where the village was.

"Oh god, Miroku. You don't think..." Sango was almost beside herself with grief.

Miroku was quick to cut in. "Don't panic Sango. We don't know what this means. It could just be..."

But his words were lost on Sango, who had instantly transitioned from panic into command mode. "Kirara! Take us up! Get as high as possible!"

"What are you doing?" Asked Miroku as Kirara started to rise.

"If the village has been overrun be Naraku's demons, I don't want them spotting us when we fly overhead. We'll have to assess the situation from long range."

"Sango, isn't that a bit much?"

"I'm not going to let our concern for our friends get us killed!" She hastily retorted. "If it's really too late for them, we'll need to be in position to make a fast escape."

Miruko sighed and conceded her point. "Okay, but don't go jumping to conclusions over this. It's not going to be like it was before. I promise."

"I believe you, Miroku, I really do," said Sango as Kirara reached her maximum altitude and resumed course. "But we have to approach this from a pragmatic standpoint. Considering our condition, it would be too dangerous for anything less."

* * *

><p>By the time Kirara flew over the village, she had reached a height where little was visible below. Sango quickly spotted a great mass of life on the ground below, but at their distance they appeared to be mere masses and specs, with no way to determine if they were demons or humans. But one thing was clear. The village had taken a pounding. Many collapsed damaged huts and buildings were present, while great plumes of fire raged from multiple locations.<p>

Sango was about to consider their next move when suddenly Miroku came to a great revelation. "Kirara! Take us down! Everything's okay!"

"Miroku!" Sango shouted back. "Slow it down, we can't be sure of what-"

"Sango, trust me. Everything is fine. Look of the locations of the fires. They're all on the outside of the village. None of them are in the perimeter. Just take us lower, and I think you'll find they are a symbol of victory."

Sure enough, Sango could see he was right. And while it didn't actually prove anything, Sango decided it was enough to take a chance. Quite frankly she was sick of always having to keep her guard up and maintain a sense of hyper-alertness. It was time to relax and throw caution to the wind. Taking a deep breath, she nodded her head and gave Kirara the signal to descend.

Her efforts were rewarded as the scene came into plain view. The village was battered and showed signs of a great battle, but for the most part it was still standing. The vast majority of key structures had survived, as had the inhabitants who soon came into view. Sango could see a vast mix of human villagers and wolf demons from Kouga's tribe, all decked out in various degrees of armor and weaponry. Just as Miroku expected, the raging fires were not from burning buildings, but from great piles of demon corpses, which had been set up outside the village for disposal.

A great sense of relief flooded in as Sango scanned the mass below, and she soon found exactly what she was looking for. All her companions were accounted for. Kagome, Shippo, and a fully recovered Inuyasha were standing clearly out in the crowd, along with Kouga and his demon lieutenants Ginta and Hakkaku close by.

It wasn't long before someone below spotted Kirara and her riders, and soon a great cheer burst out from the crowd in response. All around the village, wolf demons and humans alike pointed their weapons up and let out shouts of triumph as Kirara swooped in for a landing near Inuyasha and the others at the center. Sango could hardly believe this was happening. After so many obstacles and turns for the worst, everything was finally coming together, and she couldn't help but bask in the glory and attention she was receiving. Memories of the celebrations her own village would hold after coming back from a mission quickly came flooding into her mind.

_"Well this isn't quite the welcome I'd be getting in my own village after a successful hunt," _she happily thought to herself,_ "but it sure is good enough!"_

* * *

><p>"Sango!" Kagome shouted, rushing up to hug her freind as Kirara touched down and Sango weakly pulled herself off. However, she immediately stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she saw the extent of the Tiyajia's injuries: The bloodstained bandages on her leg and forehead, the noticeable limp in her walk, and most of all her face, of which a massive portion was swollen, cut, or bruised.<p>

"Good lord, what on earth happened to you two?" Kagome asked as she noticed Miroku's massive wounds and broken arm as well. "And here I thought we were the ones had it rough."

Indeed, Sango noticed Kagome's futuristic uniform was torn in several places and sporting a nasty bloodstain from a cut on her arm. "Well I'm afraid our foe wasn't willing to go down without a bit of a tussle. But in the end we prevailed. I'll be happy to tell you all about it later, but what happened here?"

"Oh nothing much...just a massive assault from Naraku's minions that kept us in constant battle for the last three days." Shippo cut in sarcastically as he rushed forward to pet Kirara, who by now had shrank down to normal size. "But we sent we sent those goons packing. You should have seen it, guys! With my fox magic, I was unstopp-"

"Oh give it a rest, Shippo!" Inuyasha interrupted. "You guys were on the verge of collapse until I came in to turn the tide. Once I got back in the game , Naraku and his worthless hoard didn't stand a chance!"

"And who was it that kept you safe until then?!" Kouga shot back. "If it wasn't for me and my demon warriors, you'd have been feeding the worms in a matter of hou-"

"Well we all did our part," Kagome quickly interjected, trying to assume her natural role as team peacemaker. Then she turned back her newly arrived friends. "I'm just glad the three of you made it back safe. We were just about to go and look for you once Kaede recovered to take over things here.

This caught Miroku's attention. "Kaede? Is she alright? I hope she wasn't injured in the ordeal."

"Oh don't worry, she's just resting," Kagome assured him. "This whole thing was quite exhausting for her. She took charge of the village the whole time and barely had any sleep over the last few days."

"Yeah I gotta hand it to the old crone, she was quite the field general," added Inuyasha. "Turning this peasant rabble into such a formidable fighting force."

This comment did him no favors with the surrounding audience. "Hey! who are you calling rabble!" came a shout from from a large battle-worn villager behind him.

"He makes a good point, Inuyasha," Kouga smugly interjected. "This 'rabble' sustained the fight a hell of a lot longer than you did!"

Inuyasha's nerves immediately began to rise. "You know I've had just about enough of you, Kouga! You agreed to leave once Sango and Miroku returned here, so take your tribe's scrawny hides back to your caves and have fun hunting rats."

Suddenly Kouga swept in close to Kagome and stood protectively in front of her. "You know something, dog turd, I don't think I should. Whose going to protect MY woman if I go? The monk and Tiajiya clearly are in no condition for it, and back in the woods you clearly showed you aren't up to the task."

As Kouga and Inuyasha started heating up, Sango could only roll her eyes in disappointment while watching the ordeal play out, despite Kagome's feeble attempts to intervene. This was certainly not the type of homecoming she was expecting.

"Have they been like this the whole time?" she whispered to Ginta, who was watching the event play out nearby.

"Oh you have no idea," he grimly answered. "I'm actually glad Naraku showed up to attack when he did. Without a common enemy to fight, I don't think we could have held them back much longer..."

Meanwhile, the tension between the two demons continued to spiral out of control as Kagome fought a losing battle to contain it. "Cut it out, you two! Kouga, it's time-"

Before she could finish, Kouga suddenly wrapped his left arm around Kagome and pulled her in close. "Yeah, better listen to her, Mutt. I'd hate to spill your guts in front of my m-"

Finally, Inuyasha could restrain himself no longer. Before Kouga could finish, the dog hanyou laid into him with a massive right hand punch, decking him with a force so great it sent him into the air for a brief moment and then skidding along the ground. But Kouga quickly recovered and used the blow's momentum to pull his legs up and spring back on his feet.

"What was that, Kouga?!" Inuyasha bellowed in rage, while the surrounding crowd of demons and humans fell deathly silent. "Finish that sentence, I dare you!"

Kouga stared blankly at Inuyasha for a few tense moments. Then a smile crept across his face. "Nah, I take it back. I won't mind this one bit!"

With that, Kouga stormed back at Inuyasha with blinding speed. Inuyasha again attempted to swing at him, but Kouga's jewel shard-enhanced legs were too quick. Ducking under the errant attack, Kouga countered by slamming his knee into Inuyasha's ribs and followed up with a straight-on punch of his own, catching him right in the jaw. The impact wasn't enough to knock Inuyasha to the ground, but it sent him back several paces.

The fight only progressed from there, as both participants continued to rain blow after blow on each other, with the surrounding crowd wildly cheering them on as if it were a sporting event, and Kagome desperately trying to rain them in. She considered breaking up the fight with a sit command, but did not want to seem as if she was supporting Kouga over Inuyasha. There still remained bitter memories of what happened the last time this was done.

Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku could only watch in awe. "See Miroku!" Sango pointed out. "I knew bringing Kouga here was going to cause all sorts of trouble."

"Oh come now, I think a mere fistfight is a worthy price for saving the entire village, don't you? Just wait, I think this ordeal is about to come to an end."

Sango merely sighed, grateful that at least the two participants had enough restraint to not use their weapons. "Well, I guess this is at least proof Inuyasha's made a full recovery..."

Eventually, Mikroku's prediction came true as Kagome found the opportunity she'd been waiting for. At that very moment, Inuyasha and Kouga locked arms and started wrestling along the ground, enabling Kagome to use the subjugation beads against both of them equally. Shouting out Inuyasha's least favorite word, Kagome's command crushed both fighters into the earth, where they lay panting for several seconds before Inuyasha rolled off Kouga and slowly pulled himself up.

A tense lull in the action commenced as both demons took a moment to recover, and before they could continue, Kagome stepped in between. "That's enough, both of you!" She shouted in anger. Then she turned to address Kouga.

"Listen Kouga. I appreciate everything you and your tribe did to defend the village. But now it's time for you to go. Please."

Not wanting to turn Kagome against him, Kouga reluctantly gave in. "Yeah I suppose we may have overstayed our visit." Then he turned to address his the warriors from his tribe. "Come on guys, let's head out. We've got a good home waiting for us and a great victory to celebrate."

As Ginta, Hakkaku, and the others started filing away from the village, Kouga turned back to Kagome for some parting words. "Don't worry, Kagome. You'll see me again soon enough. And if this worthless mutt ever fails to measure up again, you know you can always count on me."

This final comment was nearly enough to get the Tetsaiga out of its scabbard, but before Inuyasha could reply, Kouga had turned into his tornado form and was gone in a flash, with his demon subordinates lagging behind. As the surrounding villagers moved on and resumed their tasks, Inuyasha found himself with no one left to take his anger out on, and it ended up going to Kagome.

"Kagome! What the hell was that for? I can't let that mangy wolf's challenges go unhee-"

"Oh you're so selfish, Inuyasha!" Kagome shot back. "We've got bigger things to deal with right now!"

Inuyasha quelled his anger. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. After all, now that I'm recovered, we've jewel shards to hunt down. I hope you're ready."

Now Kagome practically exploded. "Are you kidding? Look around you! The village is still in need of repairs, I've got loads of schoolwork to catch up on, and Sango and Miroku are badly injured. At the very least, we won't be going back out until they recover."

"What? You mean I have to play nursemaid and handyman until their frail human bodies mend? That'll take forever!"

"We can handle it. Naraku will be laid up for a while himself after the mauling we gave him. Besides, need I remind you of all the things I had to do during YOUR recovery? Those Ramen meals and antibiotics didn't fall out of the sky!"

And so it went on back and forth, while Miroku and Sango could do nothing but watch their routine. Suddenly Sango started chuckling to herself, realizing this was one aspect of her homecoming that she had not considered: enduring the endless bickering that came with the troubled relationship of the hanyou and teenage priestess. Sometimes their fights were so intense that they seemed to be the most bitter of enemies. But even so, Sango had full confidence they would thrive and endure.

Smiling slightly, she turned to face Miroku. "_After all, if we could go through all those trials and come out stronger than before..."_

"Well Sango, it appears this is going to go on for quite some time. Feel like sticking around and watching the fireworks?"

Sango merely shook her head. "I don't know about you, but right now I'd really like to lie down."

"My thoughts exactly," replied Miroku. Then he turned to Shippo, who all this time had been playing with Kirara. "Say Shippo, is there any place close by would could use as a temporary lodging?"

Shippo looked up from Kirara, who was rolling playfully in the grass as he rubbed her belly. "Sure. try that hut over," he said, pointing to the nearby structure. "We've were using it as a makeshift storehouse during the siege, so it's a little crowded, but no one's living there, and there were a few empty cots inside."

"That will do just fine," replied Miroku calmly. "Though I suppose getting there may be a bit of challenge all the same. Shall we, Sango?"

Sango laughed in response. "Indeed. Let this be our final task for the evening."

However, with Sango's severely injured leg and Miroku's crippled knee, this task turned out to be a surprisingly arduous one. Gritting their teeth, Sango and Miroku leaned on each other for support and quietly shuffled away from the bickering Miko and Hanyou.

"You know Miroku, until we get better, we'll have to talk to Kagome about bringing us some mobility aiding items from her time. As of now, this method is most inefficient."

Miroku merely wrapped his good arm tightly around Sango's waist, pulled her closer to him, and whispered seductively in her ear. "Perhaps, but it also has its perks."

"Miroku!" Sango replied indignantly, but unable to hold back laughter. "This is serious. Do you even realize we've got months of of grueling recuperation ahead of us?"

"Maybe so. But as long as I'm going through it with you, how bad could it be?"

Sango settled down as they neared the empty hut. "Well, I suppose you win this round," she replied happily. "I guess our road to recovery is just the next step, and we'll get to through it together. We always will..."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Kagome and Inuyasha were still going at it, not even realizing the subjects of their argument were leaving the scene.<p>

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, at her wits end. "I've had enough. We're not going on any more jewel shard hunts until Miroku and Sango get better. Now I want you to apologize to both of them right now..."

Kagome turned and pointed in the direction where her friends had been, only to realize they were no longer there. All that remained was Shippo, playing happily with Kirara on the ground.

"Hey, where'd they go?"

"Oh they went over to the supply hut to get some rest," he replied, calmly pointing in their direction. "Watching you two go at it does get tiresome after a while."

Kagome looked over to see Sango and Miroku shuffling painfully away, leaning on each other for support. Upon further inspection, she saw they had their arms around each other and appeared to be holding on a bit tighter and closer than necessary.

"Say, Inuyasha... you notice anything particular about them?"

"Yeah I'll say," responded Inuyasha. "Miroku's in such close proximity to Sango without trying to stroke her butt. He must be in a lot more pain than I realized-"

Even after all this time with him, sometimes Kagome was still taken aback by Inuyasha's bluntness and refusal to look at the big picture. "Dammit Inuyasha, that's not it! Just look at them. Seems like battle wasn't the only thing they were experiencing while they were out on the road."

Inuyasha remained as stubborn as ever. "Ah, you're kidding yourself. It's just because of how badly injured they are. Just wait. You'll hear a loud slap from inside that hut in a matter of minutes."

"Sure, Inuyasha. Anything you say," said Kagome, deciding that trying to change his mind was a lost cause.

"Well he does have a point, Kagome," Shippo spoke up as the three of them watched Miroku and Sango walk inside. "They sure seemed like they're hurt really badly. You think they'll be okay?"

Kagome was beaming as she looked down at the kitsune to respond. "Yes Shippo. No matter what they have to deal with in the coming days. I can tell they'll be just fine."

**The End**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Well that's it for this story. Hope you enjoyed it. For those who would have liked to see what happened back at the village rather than hear about it second-hand, I'm sorry. I thought about including some chapters describing what was going on back on the homefront, but decided against it on grounds that I wanted this to be Mir/San's adventure, and I wanted the whole thing to be from their point of view. Perhaps someday I'll make a different story on the events that took place in the village while Miroku and Sango were away, but this part is and will remain their story.


End file.
